


The Color Pallet

by Sadistic_Stylist



Category: Strange Magic - Fandom
Genre: Addicition, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Hair Salon AU, Kicking bad relationships in the junk, Mutual Pining, Romance, Shenanigans at the workplace, Slow Burn, Swearing, barber shop au, boss and employee - Freeform, business owner, cursing, finding self-worth, lots of smut later, self pleasure, total smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-26
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-09-02 07:29:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 43,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8658019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sadistic_Stylist/pseuds/Sadistic_Stylist
Summary: Marianne Summers inherited the salon from her late mother and recently expanded to bring in more business. But with a bigger salon comes the task of actually hiring stylists.She feels heartbroken and lost after the loss of her mother, but there was a man--her knight in shining armor--to come to her rescue. Or so she thought. Betrayed and angry, Marianne remodels her salon and delves into her work, hardly taking time for herself anymore.





	1. Remodeling

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm going to start by saying, Yes, I am a licensed cosmetologist, and I do hair and nails at 2 different salons. (Though, I'll be going down to whenever they need me at the hair place. So, very little hours there.)
> 
> Every time I work, I get a new idea to write about, so I thought I would start another AU. I've read ones about culinary school, and I know there's Art School AU (sorry! I haven't gotten around to reading that one yet!), so I figured a beauty school/salon AU would be super fun to write!
> 
> Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy this one!

8:30 am was too early when you spent all night at your sisters 21st birthday party. The same sister that would not be coming into work that day.

Marianne Summers sighed as she unlocked her salon, _The Color Pallet_. Almost two years ago, her mother died and left her the salon. She was only 22 when she took over, but damn, she made a fine business owner at such a young age.

There were four hair cutting stations, two pedicure chairs, two manicure desks, and only a small room in the back that served as the office. They got plenty of business for being a small salon, but that still didn't change the fact that Marianne wanted more for her business. She had been saving as much as she could to buy the building attached to hers so she could expand and hopefully hire more stylists. If she didn't have her wedding coming up, she'd have about half of the expenses she'd need for the expansion.

As she made her way to the tiny office, her cell phone buzzed with a text from Dawn.

>I'm dying

Marianne's response had been at the tips of her fingers since she left that morning.

>lol you aren't dying. Your hungover. Some of us had to be responsible and work today. There's Advil and a bottle of water in the bathroom.

She opened the office and set down her purse and coffee cup from the coffee shop across the street, _Sunny's Hideout_. The place was owned by a short African American man about her age who made coffee blessed by the gods. Unfortunately he wasn't working this morning since he too had been invited to Dawn's birthday.

Marianne knew Sunny had a crush on her sister ever since he first opened the place a couple years ago. The two hit it off right away and were now best friends.

Another text. This one from Plum, one of her part timers.

>Hey Marianne! My sister is in town. Is it okay if I don't come in today?

Marianne groaned. She liked Plum, and the woman hardly ever asked to not work, but it was still frustrating! She grabbed the schedule book and was relieved to see that there were not many appointments for the day, just two haircuts at 9 and 9:30. 

"Maybe I'll just take the day off as well," she mumbled to herself.

<sure that's fine. you better have a fun time though.

With that, another idea popped into her mind. She could work on payroll, then do the cuts, and then head over to her fiancé's house when she was done. She hadn't seen him for almost a week and missed him terribly. Roland was a businessman, a young entrepreneur, who had to travel often for work, sometimes days to weeks. They had separate places for this reason. He texted her late last night that he was home and tired from his trip so not to come over. Well, she'd just have to surprise him this morning with a lovely visit!

 

As Marianne pulled onto the curb by Roland's house, she noticed a blue BMW parked out front. Roland's car was a dark green mustang with gold racing stripes.

 _Hmm. Weird_. Marianne thought nothing of it as she pulled out her key to his house and unlocked the door.

The sight that greeted her was not a pleasant one. For in the kitchen stood a half naked brunette woman wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. The two women stared at each other.

"Hey Buttercup, is that bacon I smell cooking?" Roland walked out of the bathroom with a towel tied around his waist. His chiseled chest glistened with droplets from his morning shower.

"Rosi-- M-Marianne!!" The blonde male stood frozen in place.

"Roland, who zis woman?" The other woman would have had a nice accent had it not been for the fact that she was naked in her fiancé's house.

The couple stared at each other.

Marianne could feel her heart breaking and her perfect mask starting to crumble and fall apart. She couldn't breath. She had to get out. As quick as she could she turned around and ran straight for her car, tears already running down her face.

She hadn't even gotten halfway down the block when her phone started buzzing and "I can't help falling in love with you" started playing. Roland was calling. She hit ignore. He had called her ten times by the time she made it home. He texted her about fifteen times as well.

>Marianne it's not what it looks like!  
>pick up your phone.  
>answer me, buttercup!  
>please  
>don't be that way  
>she's just my cousin from Brazil  
>answer the damn phone Marianne!

She couldn't take it anymore. She didn't even bother reading the rest of them before deleting them and hitting block caller.

 

"Marianne? What's wrong?" Dawn came out of the house to see what happened to her sister. She wore a pink fluffy bathrobe and had slipped on a pair of black winter boots since there was still slush on the ground.

Marianne stared dead-eyed through the window of her car. How could she tell her sweet innocent sister about what she had seen? About what he did to her?

"Marianne? Come on; I'm freezing." The petite blonde urged.

Like a zombie, Marianne got out of her car and let her little sister lead her inside. Once her boots and jacket had been stripped off, her eyes started leaking tears again.

"He-he cheated on me." Was all she said before being wrapped up in her sisters embrace.

 

Marianne hadn't been to work in almost a week and half since catching Roland cheating. She stared at the wedding gown that hung on the back of her bedroom door then down to her engagement ring still on her finger. An angry fire welled up inside her, awakening her from this funk she fell into.

Who cares about love? Who cares that she wasted a year and a half on this creep who did nothing to support her? She didn't need love. She would never be a fool again.

Marianne uncrossed her legs and stood up from her bed. The little black box that her ring came in sat on her bedside table. She snatched it up and twisted the ring off her finger, slamming it into the slot in the box. She pocketed it before marching out of her room.

"Dawn, grab your coat. We're going out." The older sister pulled on her faded winter boots.

"What do you mean?" Dawn was sitting on the couch watching a soap opera and eating a bag of Cheetos.

"I want to see how much I can get for my...ring." On went the purple hoody and black vest over it.

"Why? It's so beautiful!" Dawn had licked the orange dust off her fingers and rolled up the bag. Her big blue eyes watched her sister carefully.

"I don't want any reminder of him. Screw him. Screw marriage! Screw _love_!" The broken-hearted brunette tugged a hat over her long hair and picked up her car keys. "Are you coming or not?" She asked sternly.

"Y-yes! Let me change first!" Dawn scrambled off the couch and ran to her bedroom up the stairs. She returned about 30 seconds later wearing the same pink leggings, but put on a matching top and scarf. Unlike her sister, Dawn had blonde hair, cut in a short pixie style. She hid it beneath a pink hat with cat ears.

"You're so cute I want to puke," Marianne sneered in the only way a sister could.

"Aw, thanks sis!" Dawn wasn't fazed in the slightest. She patted Marianne's cheek as she glided past. "Hey! Let's stop at the coffee shop and say hi to Sunny!"

Marianne grumbled her approval, but _only_ because the man was a coffee GOD!

 

"Hmm... I don't know if we'd take a wedding dress, Miss Summers," Greg, the man at the pawn shop, looked at the picture of the wedding dress Marianne had on her phone.

"What do you suggest I do with it then? I don't ever plan on getting married." She leaned on the counter, trying to make him see her point. By now, everyone in the town had heard she called off the wedding.

"Well..." the man rubbed the back of his head as he looked at the picture again.

"It was a $1,500 dress. I'd take less for it. I just want it gone..." her voice cracked at just the right moment.

"Hhh, alright. $500?"

"$1,000."

"C'mon, you said less."

"True, but I wont be swindled either, Greg." The feisty young woman tossed her head and squared her shoulders. Where did this confidence come from?

"Fine, fine. $750?" His old brown eyes bore into her shining honey colored ones.

"$900." She quirked.

Greg looked at the picture again and sighed. He'd sold dresses before and knew he could sell this one quickly enough, though it'd be hard finding someone of her size.

"$900 then," he stuck out his hand for her to shake.

"Great! I'll bring it by later today!" Marianne said excitedly as she shook the old mans hand.

"Okay...now let me get the receipt paper so I can write it up."

"Wait...I have one more thing I'd like to sell..." a small, velvet black box weighed heavily in her hand. "It's...my ring..."

She opened the box and placed it on the counter between them. The ring was rather lovely, if not big and gaudy. There was a large oval in the center with many smaller diamonds twisting around the gold band. The sight of it nearly made her gag.

"Whew... I'll need to test to make sure it's real," Greg whistled and reached under the counter for the correct tools to use. He gauged the metal and diamonds and determined them to be very real and of very high quality. "I...I can give you $4,000 for the ring."

Marianne nearly fainted! She did not expect that! The ring itself was probably $5,000 itself at a jewelers!

"Greg that's so much! Why would--"

"Because I know how much you want to expand that salon of yours." The old man said with a wink. He suddenly found himself being pulled across the counter into the arms of the stylist.

"Thank you. Thank you so much..." she tried not to cry. She really did, but the tears couldn't be held back any longer. She'd known this man her whole life, and for him to do this for her, it was too much.

"You deserve it. Your momma would be proud of how far you've come, and what you want to accomplish." He gave her a final squeeze and pulled back from her. "Now, how about you let me write up these receipts, eh?"

 

As the sisters made there way back from their second trip to the pawn shop to drop off the dress, they decided to stop once more at Sunny's.

"Hey guys! Back again?" Sunny greeted them happily from behind the counter. Surprisingly he wasn't busy for a Saturday, even though he closed in an hour.

"Hi Sunny!" Dawn chirped as she practically flitted to the counter. She beamed when he held out a giant blueberry muffin for her. "Ooh yummy! How much?"

"For you? Just a smile."

"Aw, Sunny!" The blonde giggled, but smiled her brightest smile at him. How could she be so oblivious to the fact that he was in love with her?

"You two are gross. Got any more muffins?" Marianne mumbled. She hated being around people who were happy all the time like these two. Well, it's not that she hated being around them, it's just that they reminded her of how lonely and broken she felt.

"The only kind I have left is cinnamon chip. Sorry, Marianne," Sunny frowned.

"Ugh, no thanks. I'll just take a vanilla chai latte then," she said, reaching for her wallet.

"Hey, you don't have to pay Marianne." Sunny placed his hand on hers and pushed her hand off her purse.

"Nonsense, Sunny. Your coffee if totally worth the price."

"I insist."

"Fine then." She dropped the $4 in the tip jar instead.

Sunny glowered--if that was even possible for the generally happy man--at her, but turned around to make her latte.

"I can't believe you were able to get that much money for your dress. Hey! Do you have enough to expand the salon now?" Dawn asked through a giant bite of muffin.

"I think so..." After checking her savings and adding the total of the check she received from the pawn shop, she had just enough to purchase the attached building and expand. "I'll still have to take a loan out for furnishings and stuff, but if we get started right away, the renovations should be done by the end of summer."

"Eeeee! That's so exciting! But, shoot. We have to wait till Monday to get a hold of the bank..." Dawn pouted and leaned on the counter.

"Here's the latte, Marianne. And, a small pumpkin spice for you, Dawn," Sunny placed the two cups on the counter in front of the sisters.

"Oh Sunny! I thought you stopped selling pumpkin spice after thanksgiving!" Dawn cried happily.

"Heh, it's nothing. I found a packet mixed in with the vanilla chai. I know it's your favorite."

 _God, this woman is blind.._. Marianne thought almost sourly as she sipped on her heavenly caffeine.


	2. Opening night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog goes out to a club but it doesn't go quite as expected.

Allen Bog King made his way down Hemlock Avenue, stopping in each tattoo parlor and barber shop he could find. Unfortunately, no one was hiring... He'd been tattooing for nearly half his life and had been a barber for almost eleven years. His credentials and experience were through the roof!

Just as he was about to round the corner onto Bakers Street, his phone started ringing. Of corse his mother would be calling...

"Hello, mum," He answered with a slight grumble to his voice.

"C'mon, now Boggy! Job searching isn't that bad..." Griselda knew her son quite well if she could tell what was bothering him just by the tone of his voice. 

"I've been back in the states for a month and I've been turned down for every job! Where am I supposed to--"

"You'll find something, dear. Hey! Aunt Plum works at this little salon! They just remodeled and are hiring. Maybe she could get you a job there."

"A salon? No thanks. I need a barber shop. I'm a _barber_ , mum." Bog walked past the library on his right, stopping briefly at the wishing tree. 

"I know, dear, but a jobs a job! Just think about it, okay?" 

How could Bog say no when his mother made sense...?

"Ugh, fine," he growled. "Now, why did you call?"

"Plum wants to have dinner tonight, so I need you to run to the store to pick up a few things."

Bog groaned. He knew that a few things meant _way_ more than a few... "Alright. I'll head back to my car. Can you just text me a list?"

"Sure, sweety. Drive safe!" With that his mother hung up. Griselda lived only an hour away from town, but Plum always made a big deal about hanging out with her. And ever since Bog moved back its been...more frequent. For a moment, he wondered if his cousin, Nathaniel, or Thang, would want to hang out so he could escape yet another dinner with his mom's sister...

 

It had been four months since Marianne got the loan to expand her salon, and tonight her and Dawn were going out to celebrate the completion of the expansion.

"We can go out to whatever bar you want after dinner! But we need food first, sis," Dawn chided as she slipped into a cute, strapless blue dress. The length flowed down to her shins, while the waist hugged her curves nicely. She shouldered a cream colored cardigan before examining herself in the full-length mirror. She caught her sisters blank expression and threw a shoe at her. 

"Marianne! C'mon! Get dressed. Sunny will be here any minute!" The past few months had been hard on both sisters. Marianne had become a workaholic, and would go out to the bars nearly every weekend. Dawn hated seeing that. She, on the other hand, hadn't touched a drop, hoping that would make her sister not drink so much.

"Alright, alright!" Marianne slid off the bed and stripped off her baggy teeshirt for a clean one. She didn't really care about her appearance, and was just getting over a weekend of binge drinking. 

"Will you _please_ try to make an effort in your outfit for tonight?" Dawn rolled her eyes. She understood delving into her work, but couldn't grasp wanting to drink every single weekend.

"Ugh. Why don't you pick out my clothes then, since apparently I am inept." Marianne fell back on the bed.

"And someone who uses the word inept shouldn't be--" The blonde clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from finishing her sentence. She did not want to have another fight.

"Shouldn't be _what_?" Glossy brown eyes flicked over to her. 

Dawn's heart broke looking at her sister. Marianne was never the same after their mother died two years ago, and then meeting Roland so soon after and everything he did and put her through... Maybe she did understand more than she thought. 

"Shouldn't be...drunk all the time..." Just then a horn honked outside. _Thank_ _God_... "I'll ride with Sunny. I'll call a cab for you." With that Dawn took off out of the bedroom and down the stairs, tears brimming in her big blue eyes.

"D-Dawn! Wait!" But the front door had already slammed shut, leaving a hollow silence that filled the house.

Marianne stared up at her ceiling, thinking of how she got into this mess. She felt so broken and hollow.

"What's wrong with me...?" She asked the air. Her vision was starting to blur. She buried her face in her hands. She hated who she had become, hated that she was so weak to let a man who was no longer in her life control her.

"Enough of this shit." She sat up and wiped her face on the back of her hands. With new-found determination, she walked over to her closet to pull out some clothes. There was a deep purple knee-length dress with a black belt that she knew would look good. Her cutest pair of shoes sat collecting dust bunnies on the closet floor. Instead of just changing and leaving like she wanted to, Marianne stripped out of her three day old clothes and hopped in the shower. 

The hot water felt so good as it ran over her body. She didn't get out until the water was cold.

As she stared at the mirror, she grew sick of looking at herself. She was too plain, too pale, too...much the Marianne Roland had wanted her to be. A shell.

"Alright Marianne Summers. You listen here," she stared at her tired reflection with a new found spark. "You will not let love slow you down. Sure, that scumbag cheated on you but you will not let him win. Now," she straightened her shoulders, "you get ready for that grand reopening you've always dreamed of."

 

Dawn and Sunny sat at the table reserved for them looking over the desert menus, when a hand touched Dawn's shoulder. She looked up to see Marianne--no, _her sister_. 

"Hi," She stood there in a tight fitting one sleeved purple dress, black tights, small silver heels, and her hair curled and pinned up. Good heavens! She was actually wearing makeup! Her dark eye shadow made her golden colored eyes stand out.

"Marianne! I'm sorry for what I said," tears filled Dawn's eyes again before she stood up and hugged her sister.

"I know. Me too," Marianne's own voice chocked as well. Never again will she put her little sister through what the past few years had been like. 

"Marianne you look great!" Sunny piped up, making the sisters jump then laugh. 

"Thanks Sunny!" Marianne thanked him with a peck on his cheek as she slid into the booth next to him. "Now, I'm in the mood for a burger!"

 

The Flame was packed with college students on their last weekend of freedom before classes started up again. As it turned out, Thang and his girlfriend, Stephanie, who Bog liked to call Stuff, were going out to karaoke and asked him to be the DD. He wasn't thrilled about it, since being around people who were drunk when he wasn't felt like babysitting to him. But, he needed to get away from his mother, so he agreed.

Bog leaned against the bar drinking a water, when Thang came running up to him.

"Bog! You gotta go up and sing! You'd blow everyone away!" The shorter man shouted over the loud music. Thang was around 27, average height, with medium brown hair and light grey eyes, and a medium build. His girlfriend Stuff/Steph, was around the same height, had brown hair with green tips, light blue eyes, and was quite curvaceous. Bog couldn't remember if she was 29 or 30 now. 

"Eh, no thanks! Karaoke isn't really my thing. Besides, I'm not drinking tonight so fat chance of getting me up there!" Bog leaned down and shouted in his cousins ear.

"Aw, c'mon! We never get to hang out and it'll be fun!" 

Bog was about to protest again when the cords for "Come on Marianne" by the Four Seasons started up. Thang ran excitedly up to see who was singing. 

_Who sings this at Karaoke?  
_

As the blonde man took the stage, Bog instantly hated the guy. He was everything he was not--fair skinned and handsome. But that wasn't why the loathing began; the blonde had an arrogance about him that made Bog want to punch him in his perfect teeth.

Bog turned around, sneering at his water glass, when someone bumped into him. He was about to tell them to shove off when he saw a cute young woman standing starry eyed behind him.

"Oops! I'm sorry!" She chirped. "Woah. You're so tall!" She craned her head back to look at Bog's face. 

"Ah, well, it's fine. And yeah, I'm tall." He had an instant liking for this tiny woman--not like he was looking for anything, but she reminded him of a fairy princess with her big eyes and small frame. 

"I'm Dawn!" She shouted and stuck her hand out for him to shake. His practically engulfed hers.

"Bog! What are you doing here at the bar? Surely you must want to watch this guy sing?" He asked, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the stage. 

"Ew no!" Her response shocked him. "He's my sisters ex-fiancé. He's stupid if he thinks she'll go back to him."

"Oh yeah?" Bog turned back around with slight more interest than before.

"Roland's a butthead for hurting my sister!" The fairy girl--Dawn--reached for a glass of water. 

"A butthead?" Bog couldn't help himself. He threw back his head and laughed till he had tears coming from the corners of his eyes.

"Yeah! He treated her like crap and cheated on her... She found out two weeks before the wedding." She looked down at the ice cubes in her glass. 

Bog didn't say anything. What kind of man does that? Anger welled up inside him--not an unusual emotion for him, but to have it for someone he didn't even know? That was weird.

"Well, I know it's not my place, but I wouldn't mind taking care of this...person for you," Bog said through gritted teeth. What was up with him tonight?

"Aw, that's sweet of you! Oh hey! The songs done. I should probably find my sister before she does something bad..." Dawn blended easily with the crowd, leaving Bog alone with the feeling like a warm sun had disappeared.

 

Roland trapped his former fiancé between himself and the stage. 

"C'mon, Marianne. It was a mistake. I'm here to take you back," he gave her a dazzling smile that would have any other girl on her knees.

"Take _me_ back!? I wouldn't go back with you if you were the last man on earth!" She tried shoving past him but he blocked her way.

"Seriously, buttercup? Can't you forgive me?"

"Pfft, not likely scum bag! Leave me alone and never come near me again!" Marianne actually got past him, afraid that if she lingered any longer she'd be charged with murder. As she shoved her way through the bodies of the dancers, she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. 

_Oh, the nerve_! 

"I told you to leave me alone!!" Without thinking, she turned around swiftly and swung her fist up, making contact with--

**POW**!!

A man--definitely not Roland--laid on the floor of the club. Marianne could hear her heartbeat in her ears she was so panicked! 

"Oh God! Oh God!" She had just punched a _stranger_ at a bar! 

"Marianne!" Dawn and Sunny made their way through the gawkers. 

"Whad ya do?" Sunny asked with a drunken slur. Out of the three of them, he'd had the most. 

"I-I thought he was Roland!" Marianne's head was spinning. This night was turning out to be a disaster!

"Hey! What's the big idea!" A brown haired man and a curvy woman came running up to them.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't--"

"Roland's coming over here!" Dawn hissed in her sisters ear. "We have to go!"

Marianne was torn between wanting to make sure the man was okay and wanting to get away from the son of a bitch, Roland. Dawn made her mind up for her by dragging her out of the bar. 

Just as she left, Bog groaned and sat up. He had a ripe split lip and a bloody nose, but it didn't appear broken. He brought a hand up to his face to rub his jaw where the feisty woman hit him.

"Are you okay, Bog?!" Thang yanked him up off the floor and handed him a rag for his nose. 

"Uh, yeah..." He stumbled only slightly, when the bartender came running up to him.

"What happened? Do you want me to call the cops?" The man had a pompadour hairstyle with bright pink tips, a nose piercing, and several earrings in each ear. 

"Doh, doh!" Bog said with a stuffy nose. "It's a'right. We shoul' probly leave, dough."

"Yeah... But! You were the DD!" Thang shouted as he pulled his cousin toward the back exit. 

"Call a cad for you two. I can take mydelf to the hopital," Bog rooted around in his pocket till he found his car keys. "Derioudly. I'm fine..."

Stuff and Thang exchanged a look, causing Bog to roll his eyes. 

"I don't like the idea of letting you drive..." Thang whispered. He wasn't sure what exactly happened back there, but he knew his cousin well enough that he wouldn't go to the hospital if he drove by himself. 

"Ugh! Fide!" The tall abused man threw his arms in the air in defeat. Stuff pulled out her cell phone and dialed the cab company.

 

As the three of them sat squished in the back seat of the cab, Bog turned to look at Stuff's hair. The cut was great and the green tips were fantastic! Whoever did it must have been a very skilled stylist.

"Hey, Stuff?" He nudged her with his elbow. 

"What?" She shoved back harder. Both of them hated cramped spaces. Bog's knees were practically in his chin he was so tall.

"Who does your hair?"

"Oh! I get it done at this cute little salon over on Hemlock. I can't remember the girls name though. She's a color queen!" Stuff tossed her head, letting her soft locks fluff naturally.

"Hm. What's the name of the place? Cuz I really need a job..."

"Uhh... I know they just remodeled... oh! The Color Pallet!"

Bog looked at her wide eyed. "My aunt works there..."

"Oh yeah! I forgot about that. They're hiring right now, so you'd have a good chance of working there."

If they were remodeling when he was doing his sweep of the town, then he probably over looked them. Hopefully they'd hire him... he was starting to get nervous that no one seemed interested.

"I'll, uh, check it out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh poor, Boggy! You will find a job soon~
> 
> So, I wanted to take a slightly different route with Marianne's character in this one. She has some deep rooted emotional problems that we will see in later chapters, and she doesn't know how to channel them. Obviously, getting together with roland just a few months after the death of her mother was not a good thing.


	3. Cut my hair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taking me so long to get chapters up. I'm getting married in literally 13 days, so things are kind of hectic for me right now. After the New Year updates should return to normal :)
> 
> This chapter is basically just about introductions and stuff.

It was a Thursday when Bog finally made time to visit The Color Pallet. He'd done some research online and liked what he saw. Practically all the reviews said the service was great and the stylists were fun and sassy. He wasn't too sure that if he did get hired he could decline doing certain services, like nails and color, for instance. Cutting and tattooing were his forte.

Bog sat at the kitchen table at his mother's watching a few clipper cutting videos on YouTube. Even just watching them was soothing for him.

"This isn't a barn!" Griselda shoved her son's large feet off her freshly cleaned table and swatted his shoulder as she passed him.

"Sorry mum," he adjusted in the chair so he leaned against the table instead. There was a new technique he was watching and wanted to learn it before he had to leave.

"Humph. Boggy, it's nearly 2:30. Shouldn't you head to the salon soon? I don't think they're open past 5 today."

"Huh?" he had forgotten that it would take him an hour to get there. He glanced at his watch before sighing, "Oh right... I'll leave now, so I have time to talk with the owner. What did you say her name was again?"

"Her name is Marianne."

 _Weird_. _Probably just a coincidence_. Bog thought to himself as he slipped on his shoes and grabbed the car keys from the hook on the wall.

 

Marianne had just finished a color and was checking the lady out when the salon phone started ringing.

"Excuse me, Jan," she looked apologetically at her client.

"No problem dear," Jan dismissed her and fished around in her purse for her wallet.

"Thank you for calling the Color Pallet! This is Marianne, how can I help you?"

"Marianne! It's dad--"

Marianne slammed the end call button so hard it jammed.

Jan raised an eyebrow at her stylist.

"Heh...wrong number." Marianne was not on speaking terms with her father. She hadn't been for months now.

After finishing the transaction, Marianne looked at her appointment book. She had one scheduled client at 3:45, but it was just a cut. Dawn just took a walk-in back for a shampoo and haircut, so Marianne decided now would be a good time to eat.

"Dawn, I'm going to order from Queens. Want anything?" She asked fumbling in her pocket to count her tips so far. Queens was a favored restaurant by these lovely sisters, and they ordered from them at least three times a week.

"Oh yeah! Get me that spicy burger with the crispy onions on it!" The petite blonde said excitedly. Anything could make Dawn happy.

"Sounds good. I'll be in the office so if anyone comes in, let me know."

Dawn turned her attention back to her client and finished the shampoo service. Everyone loved Dawn's shampoos, because she always had such long nails. Even Marianne would ask Dawn to shampoo her sometimes. Cuz damn they were good.

It was nearly 3:40 when the doorbell jingled, signaling that a customer came in.

"Excuse me, Kelly, I'll be right back," Dawn set her shears and comb down and walked over to the desk. "Hi! What can I--"

The man from the bar stood at the desk. When she was at the bar, she didn't get a good look at him. Of course, he was still extremely tall, but he had the broadest shoulders and a very lean waist. Oh mercy! His legs went on for days! He wore a tan button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing marvelous tribal and floral tattoos. A pair of faded jeans emphasized his narrow waist. He wore his medium dark hair in an unkept messy fashion. He had the sharpest facial structure known to man! And a five o'clock shadow that made his jawline stand out. But oh mylanta! His eyes put every blue gem on earth to shame!

Dawn stood there star struck for a moment, admiring this man.

"Hey, uh, Dawn right? We met at the flame a few nights ago," Bog stuck out his hand for her to shake.

"Oh! Yeah, Bog? Uhm, what can I do for you?" She took his hand, feeling slightly bashful. It was no secret that Dawn was a bit of a flirt and fell for every guy she saw...

"Well, I was hoping that you guys were hiring." Seeing the shocked but pleased look on her face, he added, "I've been barbering since I was 19, and I really need a job."

"...That's great! We're actually hiring right now! My sister has the final say though since she does the actual hiring. Let me go get her!" Quick as a bunny she turned around and literally skipped to the back of the salon to a dark purple door.

"Marianne!" Dawn hissed as she opened the door.

"What?" She had just hung up the phone from ordering from the restaurant.

"There's..." Dawn stopped herself from saying the guy from the bar that she punched, because she knew that her sister wouldn't leave the office until he was gone. "There's a guy here asking if we have any positions open." She finally said.

"What? Oh! Wow, okay! I'll be right there!" Marianne jumped up with excitement. If he truly was looking for a job, this would be the first person she would actually be hiring! Sure she had Plum, but she really only worked when she needed extra hands those days.

As Marianne gathered her hiring file and walked up to the reception desk, she noticed something strangely familiar about the guy...

 _Holy fuckballs_! She stopped dead, wanting to melt into the floorboards. He was the dude from the bar...that she punched. The bruise on his cheek made it painstakingly obvious.

"You!" He shouted, but not in an angry way.

"Uhm..." oh no. This was bad. "Oh my god! I'm so, _so_ sorry! I totally didn't mean to punch you! Shit dude! Fuck, I'm SO sorry!"

Bog stared at the petite woman. She was quite striking with her long brown hair and big amber colored eyes. They reminded him of topaz or honey. She had a heart shaped face and a long slender neck. He could tell she had a small frame despite the round curve of her hips.

He held up his hands in a _calm down_ gesture.

"Hey, it wasn't the first time I was punched at a bar, and doubt it'll be the last," he gave a small chuckle at the end.

"Oh God! Dude, I really didn't mean to hit you..." Marianne's face was practically radiating heat she was blushing so bad.

"Seriously, its fine. You have a good arm, tough girl."

The compliment made her blush even more.

 _Damn, this guy's-- No! Bad Marianne. Stop that right now_! She scolded herself. She had made a vow to never think those thoughts again.

"Ahem, anyway," she fidgeted with the file in her hands, not entirely sure what she should do. She punched the man in the face for God's sake! But...he didn't seem angry...and he did want a job so...

"My names Bog. Er, Allen, but I prefer Bog," he stuck his hand out to shake this sister's hand. Her tiny hand felt warm in his giant grasp.

"Bog? Why?" She wrinkled her nose in confusion.

"Eh. It's my middle name; I prefer that, I guess," he ran a long fingered hand through his hair. Marianne's insides began to tingle.

"Oh that's cool. Mine's Faye. Uh, but I go by my first name... Heh. But you can call me whatever you like." _Oh God! Did I actually just say that?!_

"Oh uh... Okay then."

Both of them stood there as awkward as could be. Marianne had no idea what this tall man was even doing here, besides asking about a job... Oh duh!

"So, Dawn tells me your looking for a job." Talking business was always easier than actually having a conversation with someone. Especially someone of the opposite gender.

"Oh, yes. My aunt works here sometimes and my mom thought that maybe--"

"Wait! _You're_ Plum's nephew?" Marianne held her hand up in disbelief.

"Yeeees...? Is that a bad thing?"

"No! Uh, last time she talked about you she said you were moving back from Scotland. I guess I pictured someone--" She waved her arms around trying to find the right words. Bog immediately felt even more self conscious than when he walked in. He didn't want to put words in his potential employers mouth, but all he could hear her saying was "I was picturing someone better looking..."

"--someone shorter. And maybe more excitable? Haha. I love Plum, don't get me wrong, but she can be a little eccentric sometimes." Marianne finally said with a laugh. Bog's shoulders slumped down and relaxed. That was a genuine answer and no hidden meaning behind her words.

"Ha, well, my da was really tall, so I got that from him."

"C'mon, let's--"

Just then Marianne's client arrived.

"Oh! Shoot... I forgot about my appointment. Would you be willing to wait for a bit so I can do her cut? I should be done in about 20 minutes." Marianne walked around the beanpole of a man and handed him the hiring file. He had some paperwork to fill out...

"Uh, sure. That's no problem..."

Bog sat down at one of the chairs in the waiting area and opened the file. There were W2 forms and background information forms and experience forms. Basically everything that he would need to fill out if he actually did get hired. He found a pen and started with the background information, since that was probably the best place to start. He didn't want to come across as eager or arrogant and start filling out the W2's.

"Whatcha doing?" Dawn had finished with her client and came over to see what Bog was filling out.

"I'm filling out some paperwork. Uh, is it alright that I'm filling out this one?" He held up the background form.

"Pfft, yeah! Actually, you could probably just start filling them all out!"

"Dawn! His skills need to be tested yet!" Marianne reminded her sister from across the room.

"Oh well..." the young blonde made a pouty face.

"No worries. I'd rather do a skills test so you know that I'm not just blowing smoke when I say I'm good," Bog gave Marianne a crooked smile and a wink.

Her eyebrows shot up, but Bog could see the spark of amusement in her golden eyes. Ever since walking in and getting such a warm welcome from Dawn, he knew this was a place he wanted to work.

"Teehee, you're funny, Boggy!" Dawn giggled then sauntered over to her station to clean. Bog just snorted and returned to his paperwork.

When he was just about finished with his background, Marianne led her client to the front desk to check out. Very few words were exchanged.

"So!" She said and clapped her hands together, "She was my last client for the day, and I'd really like to see what your skills are, Mister...?"

"King."

"King. Well, come on back. Uh...I suppose you didn't bring any tools with you, huh?" Marianne placed a hand on her hip and looked up at the tall man as he stood.

"On the contrary, I have my shears in my car." Bog felt very confident that he would get the job. But...wouldn't he need a head to show his skills on?

"Go get them!" Marianne stopped herself at the last moment from shoving him out the door in her excitement.

When the doors shut behind him, Dawn let out a loud squeal.

"Oh Marianne! You have to hire him!"

"Dang! Look at his background! 11 years barbering... And 13 for tattooing!" Oh yeah. She didn't even need to give him a skills test...but the thought of him running his long fingers through her hair sent a strange shiver down her spine... 

Bog returned after a few moments and set his shears down at an empty station as if he'd always worked there.

"So, tough girl, how do you want to do this?" He asked, looking over the polished black steel of his cutting shears. They were certainly not cheap, and he intended to take very good care of them.

"For your skills test, I want you to cut my hair." Marianne walked over and sat in the chair, making it swivel a bit.

Bog blanched. "Cut your hair? Uh, that's fine. I guess no better way to test someone's skills than on yourself."

"Exactly!" She said with a wink. "Capes are in that cupboard and you can use my clips."

"Okay. Now," Bog started as he grabbed a cape then wrapped it around her slender neck, "what kind of haircut am I doing?"

"This is what I want." Marianne held her phone out for him to look at. The picture she showed him was of a woman with short choppy brown hair, almost like a long pixie cut. Bog knew the top would be cut uniformly, but leaving the bangs and front a bit longer to frame her face. The sides and back he would establish a base length, probably at the hairline of her neck, then layer it up to meet the top.

"Damn, woman. That's quite a bit different from what you have right now. Why the drastic change?" He leaned against the drawers and folded his arms.

"I...I want something new..." _Something that doesn't remind me of my mom or Roland._

"That's usually why people get hair cuts," Bog said flatly. Usually when people did drastic cuts like this, they were getting rid of past baggage or trying to build a new personality. At least, that was always the case in his experience.

"Shush you," she swatted at him playfully. "I want something that says I'm a hairstylist. Something cute but edgy. And don't worry; I'm not going to regret it or cry or whatever."

Bog gave her one last sideways glance before shrugging and grabbing the clips from the station next to him. As he began parting and establishing a length, he let his mind wander. He usually never talked with his clients--not because he didn't like talking with them, but he hated idle chit chat. If he was going to have a conversation, it had better be about something worthwhile. He was dying to know more about Marianne though, but his mind was drawing a blank of any questions he could ask her. 

"So, Boggy, you've been barbering for 11 years?" Dawn chirped from the side. She had been watching them since Marianne first sat in the chair. She hated to see her sister chop all her hair off, but she'd been wanting to for months now. Every time she said she was gonna do it, Dawn would talk her out of it.

"Bog, please," he corrected her. "Yeah, I started when I was 19. I'd been working at a tattoo parlor for 2 years prior and wanted to try something different. Turns out, I really like doing both."

"What made you choose this line of work?" Marianne had her head tilted all the way forward so she couldn't see his face.

"Well, I've always been good at drawing, and skin is just another medium to use. Hair is no different. Put your head up."

"Do you like color then?" Dawn exclaimed, already thinking of what color she'd want next. Being a natural blonde made it easy for her to get the rich vibrant colors. Not that she did color very often, but occasionally she'd put a few highlights or lowlights in.

"Ugh, no," Bog scoffed. "Actually, I really hate doing color."

"Why don't you like color? It's like painting a picture and science all in one!" Marianne felt the need to defend her favorite service.

"Eh, I don't know. I don't really care for it I guess. I'd rather use a pencil or ink to draw than a brush." He finished with the back of Marianne's head, and started on the sides. He touched gently under her chin to tilt her head. Marianne stiffened in her chair. The ghost of his fingers lingered on her skin. The touch wasn't intimate or anything close, yet somehow...

"So, how did you come to own this salon, Marianne?" Bog asked as he took a section of hair down. He finally thought of a question!

"My mom...gave it to me when I was 22..." she could feel herself starting to close up. She hated talking about her past--or her family, for that matter.

"She _gave_ you a salon?"

"Well..."

"Marianne inherited it from her, Boggy!" Dawn interjected, sensing her sister was not in the mood to talk about this subject.

He was silent for a moment before whispering, just softly enough for Marianne's ears to pick up, "I'm sorry..."

They worked in silence the rest of the time Bog cut her hair, although Dawn was sweeping the salon and singing along to the radio.

After he finished, Bog spun Marianne around in the chair.

"What do you think?" He asked her. He'd never had a complaint yet. But when she didn't say anything after a good minute, he cleared his throat.

Marianne stared at herself. She couldn't remember the last time she had hair this short! She looked like herself again, even if she didn't feel like it. What she liked most was that she didn't look like her mom anymore...

"It's absolutely perfect!" She got up from the chair and examined her new cut. It was so bouncy and fluffy! Not as fluffy as Dawn's, but that's because she had curly hair and Marianne had straight hair.

"Oh good. Heh, you actually made me a bit nervous. For a moment I actually thought you were going to cry." He raised an eyebrow and leaned a hip to the side.

Marianne had a hard time keeping her jaw from dropping. What was it about this man that was affecting her like this?! No matter. The man had done exactly the cut she wanted and she knew she could trust his skills with a pair of clippers without having him show his skills with those.

"Uh, so... What would you say if I told you to come in on Monday at 9?" Marianne asked with a smirk, catching him off guard.

"I'd say that I'm happy to come in then, Miss Summers," Bog stood up straight and let his hands drop to his sides. Inside, he was overjoyed! After weeks of searching he'd finally found a job!

"Well then, Mr. King, it looks like you got yourself a job!" She stuck out her hand, and immediately a huge smile appeared on Bog's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love doing color! Just throwing that out there.
> 
> Also...these dweebs... After I wrote their first conversation I was practically squirming with how a-dork-able they are. I can't wait to write more awkward conversations!!


	4. A little nudge is all that's needed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunny finally gets the nerve to ask Dawn on an actual date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay I finally got this done and uploaded! The reason it took me so long was because I was writing strictly potionless in this chapter. It's a lot harder than I imagined. The Happy dweebs. Anyhoo! Please enjoy! I'll get the next chapter up asap. As well as the next chapter for This is Our Kingdom. ((I'm having a slight case of writers block for that one T^T I could end it in the next few chapters or keep it going for a while longer. Depending on the three choices of progression I made for myself.))
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you think of this Potionless chapter. I tried making it friend-to-relationship cute-awkward as possible but also what would work for them. 
> 
> Enjoy Strangers!

"Oh my God, Marianne!" Dawn clutched her sister's upper arm, making her almost drop her keys to lock up the salon.

" _What_?" She said with a slight snarl to her voice. 

"I can't believe you hired Boggy! That's so awesome! Oh my _God_! Did you see his eyes? They're so dreamy!" The petite blonde put one hand over her heart and the other on her forehead and pretended to swoon.

"Hm? Are they? I hadn't noticed..." Marianne said, jamming her key in the hole. She most certainly did notice. 

"Pfft, yeah right. I saw you," Dawn teased, "You couldn't keep your eyes off of him!" 

"B--W-what! N-no! You're wrong! It's just...respectful to look at someone in the face..." _and eyes_. She added silently.

"Humph, whatever. Maybe I'll see if he wants to--"

"Dawn! No." Chided the brunette. She had strict rules about her salon, and dating (or lack there-of) in the workplace. 

"Awwww boo... Hey! Let's go to Sunny's!" Dawn grabbed Marianne's arm and towed her across the street to the quint coffee shop.

Sunny must have seen them coming, for he had Marianne's vanilla chai latte waiting for her, and he had a blueberry muffin for Dawn. 

"Awww! Sunny!" Dawn squealed, rushing over to the counter to take a big bite out of the muffin. 

"Heh, well..." he glanced at Marianne who raised an eyebrow at him. She texted him everyday for the past two weeks asking him when he was going to ask Dawn on a real date.

"Oh damn! You chopped off all your hair! It looks great!" The coffee god noticed the stylist's new hair. 

"Thanks Sunny," Marianne grabbed her drink and turned to the west side of the store where there was a reading nook with bean bag chairs. She was giving the man the perfect opportunity to ask her sister out. And he'd better take it if he knew what was good for him.

"Oooh! Sunny! We hired a new person today!" The bouncy blonde slammed her palms down on the counter with excitement.

"Yikes! I can hear you just fine, Dawn..." Sunny rubbed a finger in his ear, feigning that she deafened him.

"Blah. Anyhoo!" She rolled her eyes and leaned on the counter and watched as her best friend began cleaning up the back counter. "His name is Bog and he's been barbering for, like, ever! And--"

"Hey Dawn..." Sunny quietly interrupted her.

_It's now or never!_ He steeled himself and took a deep breath.

"Doyouwannagoouttonight?"

"Huh? What was that? You're talking too fast."

"Ahem..." he cleared his throats and tried again, "Do you, uh, wanna go out? Tonight?"

"Sure! I don't have anything planned. Marianne, do you--"

"No! I mean...just... Us?" 

Dawn's heart leapt to her throat. Sunny had been her best friend for years now, and they'd hung out by themselves countless of times, but this seemed...different.

"Sure! I'd love to!" Her face beamed with a smile, making Sunny's shoulders visibly sink with relief. 

"Great! Um, I can pick you up later if you like? Or..." Even though she said that she wanted to go out, Sunny didn't want to seem too desperate and presume that they'd leave right when he got off work.

"Oh, um..." Dawn but her lip nervously. She didn't really want to go home and change--she still looked good from work--so she suggested, "How about I help you clean up and we can go from here?"

"Uh, yeah that works for me," Sunny said with a smile.

Marianne grinned to herself as she sipped her latte. Hopefully all that pestering will have paid off...

 

Dawn was giddy as she helped Sunny clean up. She chatted away to him about some of the clients she had today and about Marianne actually hiring someone.

She was nervous, but couldn't understand why. There had been many times she'd hung out with just Sunny. He was her best friend after all...

"So, uhh... What do you want to do tonight?" Sunny asked as he took his apron off and hung it on the hook near the small office. 

"I don't know." Dawn leaned against the counter and tapped her finger to her chin in thought. "There's that new movie out that I've been wanting to see. It's with the kid and the dragon."

"Oh yeah! Let's go see that one!" Sunny pulled his phone from his jeans pocket and quickly searched the local theater movie times. "They have a showing at 7 if you wanna grab a quick snack. Or, there's one that starts at 9 if you want to have dinner first."

"Uhm... Let's see... What if we go to Crystal Shores and walk around till the movie starts? I wouldn't mind getting some chocolates to sneak into the theatre," she said with a wink. These two were notorious for sneaking in snacks. 

"Haha! Sounds good!" With that, Sunny took his keys out and shooed Dawn out so he could lock up. He met her around back by his car. 

They talked about nothing in particular, just listened to the radio and sang along to songs they knew. Sunny's mind kept telling him that this was just hanging out like normal and that nothing was different. Yet... Would Dawn be okay if he asked her to be his girlfriend? Would she even want to be...?

 

As Sunny and Dawn took their favorite seats in the theatre, Dawn flipped the arm rest up so they could put the giant tub of popcorn between them. Dawn's purse was filled with goodies, but was placed on the floor under her seat. They'd get to them once the movie started.

"Hey, Dawn?" Sunny leaned over and whispered in her ear. 

"Shhhh! The movie's starting!" Dawn hissed and reached for a giant handful of popcorn. Sunny sighed and slumped in his seat.

It's not that Dawn didn't want to talk to him or hear what he had to say, it was just that she was actually nervous. Like first date nervous. Was this a real date? Honestly...she hoped so.

As the movie progressed, Sunny noticed how Dawn had slowly inched closer to him. He gulped past his nervousness and placed his hand palm side up on the edge of his seat in an invitation for Dawn to take his hand. If she chose to, of course. 

_C'mon Dawn...notice me_... Sunny pleaded. Sure they were best friends, but he had loved her from the moment they met. He knew it was cliche to say that, but it did actually take him a few months to realize how he really felt. Dawn was kind, bubbly, had a great sense of humor, and she supported him with business decisions. 

Just as he was about to pull his hand away and berate himself mentally for being so overzealous, he felt a warm pressure on his forearm. He looked down to see a slim white hand against his much darker tone. A shiver ran up his body and goosebumps raised on his flesh when Dawn slid her hand down the rest of his arm and laced her fingers with his.

 

The credits to the movie couldn't come fast enough for Sunny. His palms were so sweaty he was sure Dawn found it disgusting. Much to his relief she released his hand and reached down to pick up her purse. He wiped his palms on his jeans as he stood. 

"So, w-where do you wanna get dinner...?" Sunny struggled to choke out. Dawn smiled sweetly at him. 

"Well, since we're in Crystal Shores, do you want to just eat at Blackhorse?" The Blackhorse Pub and Eatery was the go-to restaurant of the local waterfront district. There were several other restaurants, but Blackhorse was one of the only two actual bar and grills in the area that likely wasn't packed wall to wall. 

"That sounds great!" Sunny gave a nervous chuckle at the end. He had no reason to be nervous! All they did was hold hands! 

A small blush colored Dawn's cheeks. She felt like she made a ballsy move by holding Sunny's hand, but maybe she had just misread the signs... She _wanted_ this to be a real date--needed this to be real--but wasn't 100 percent sure if Sunny thought of it the same way. 

The two of them made their way out of the theatre and across the small lift bridge to the main part of Crystal Shores. They stopped midway on the bridge to look at the water and sailboats in the distance.

"Hey Sunny. Can I ask you something?" Dawn leaned on the guard rail, and watched as a white sailboat docked for the night. 

"Of course, Dawn. What is it?" Sunny stood next to her with a foot propped up on a bar on the rail and folded his arms across his chest. He was only 5 feet tall, a good 6-7 inches shorter than Dawn, and most days that never bothered him, but tonight he felt even shorter than usual.

"Is this a real date?" 

At that, Sunny wanted to sink through the boards and into the water below them.

"Uhh, w-what makes you s-say that?" The only sound he could hear was blood rushing though his ears. 

Dawn took a deep breath before responding, "Well, I kind of want it to be, and..." She looked over at her best friend, "I think...I like you. As more than a friend, Sunny."

Sunny sagged against the railing, holding onto it so he literally wouldn't fall over. Here was his best friend, this amazing woman, telling him that she had more than platonic feelings for him!

"Oh." Was all he managed to say. Dawn visibly looked defeated. 

_Oh for crying out loud! Get a grip on yourself_!

"No, Dawn, I--" He took a deep breath and gathered the nerve to say, "I never dreamed that you'd think of me as more than a friend."

"Why not? I mean, you're amazing, Sunny! You're sweet, caring, funny, a good cook, and you know how to cheer me up if I'm having a bad day. You know all my secrets and insecurities..." Something seemed to click as she spoke, like something she forgot to do then suddenly remembered. "I love you."

"Me? But--"

"Oh! I'm sorry Sunny!" Like always when Dawn got embarrassed, tears filled her eyes and she turned away from him.

"Dawn, no... I'm sorry." At the, Sunny walked around her and stood higher up on the railing so he'd be face to face with her. Her big blue eyes shone brighter than usual. "I love you. I have for...so long. I was so scared to tell you, cuz well--look at you!" He gestured with his hands as if that could capture all that was Dawn. She let out a small giggle. 

"So," Dawn sighed happily and beamed a smile, "does that mean your my boyfriend?"

Now it was Sunny's turn to blush. 

"Heh, yeah. Yeah it does."

 

It was nearly two in the morning when Dawn got back home. She would have been silent if it weren't for her stumbling over the shoes in front of the door.

Marianne had fallen asleep on the couch with her cat, Imp, but woke up when she heard a loud thud. The credits to some horror movie played on the tv.

"You okay?" She yelled from the living room. Imp opened his yellow eyes slightly and fell right back to sleep. 

"Ow... Yeah!" Dawn picked herself up off the floor, using the wall to steady herself. "Marianne! Oh my gawd! I have to tell you--"

"Come in here. I have Imp. I can't move."

Dawn turned left into the living room and practically skipped over to the couch and plopped down by her sisters feet. 

"So, how was your date with Sunny?" Marianne asked with a knowing smile. 

"Ah-maze-ing! I had no idea that Sunny had such strong feelings for me! We went to a movie and then to Blackhorse. We stayed till they closed and then just sat in his car and talked. Marianne, did you know how Sunny felt for me all those years?" The blonde squinted her eyes and glared at her sister.

"Dawn, anyone with eyes could see how much Sunny adores you," She sat up, moving Imp off her lap. He hopped down with a disgruntled Mao.

"But...how come I never saw it? I mean, it wasn't until recently that I started having feelings for him, you know?" Dawn pulled her legs up under her chin and sighed. She felt like quite the ninny. 

"Well, sometimes things are right in front of us and we don't see them until it's time to." Marianne offered with a shrug. She knew those two would end up together eventually. It was only a matter of time. 

"Ha, I suppose your right. But...now that we're like, actually dating, do you think things will get weird between us?"

"What?" Marianne crinkled her nose in confusion. "I mean...I don't think it'd be weird. You guys were practically dating anyway. It'd only get weird if you let it."

"Yeah, your right." With that, Dawn hopped off the couch and stretched. "I'm off to bed. Sunny wants to hang out tomorrow after work."

"Okay. 'Night, Sis." Marianne threw the blanket off her and found the tv remote smooshed between the couch cushions. She promptly hit the power button just as static started making its presence known.

Dawn started up the stairs to her bedroom. She felt lighter than air! She was now officially dating her best friend in the entire world! As she entered her bedroom, she did happy little twirls till she landed heavily on her bed with a sigh.

Today was the best day ever. 


	5. Coffee and Akwardness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog's first day at the color pallet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't expected Marianne to be as awkward as she is. But! I did say I am going to be writing her a bit differently in this AU. And the same goes for Bog. Anywhoo! Let me know what you think!
> 
> Enjoy Strangers!

Monday morning finally arrived and Bog couldn't be more excited to go to work. Being an early bird, he arrived at 8:45, but there was no sign of his new boss. He got out of his beat up '89 chevy truck, rust falling off the door as he slammed it shut. 

Bog let out a sigh. This used to be his dad's truck, but ever since he passed away it'd been collecting rust and dust out at his moms farm. When Bog moved back to the states after living in Scotland for many years, he decided to fix it and make it work again. His mother was thrilled. 

8:52. Still no sign of Marianne. Bog ran a hand down his face and groaned. Even though his own boss was "late" he still felt bad. He was ready to get to work. He looked around the barren parking lot once more before deciding getting a cup of coffee might be a good idea. And, well, maybe Marianne'd like a cup to start her morning off right. 

As Bog walked into the brightly lit coffee shop, he saw a short African American man--most likely Sunny--standing behind the counter taking pastries off a baking sheet and placing them in baskets. He looked up when he heard the bell jingle. 

"Good morning! What can I get for you?" The man practically sang. Bog steeled himself before growling. 

"Uh, good morning. Could I get a coffee please?" 

"Sure thing! What size?" 

"Large. Black."

"What kind of beans did you want? We have blends from Africa, South America, and Asia. There's also--"

"Just, coffee. It doesn't matter. Surprise me."

"Well, alright then!" With that, Sunny turned around and got Bog's coffee for him. "Anything else for you today?"

Suddenly Bog felt rather silly. He had wanted to get Marianne a coffee but had no idea what she liked or if she even drank coffee!

"Sir?"

"Oh...uh, no thank you. Just...just the coffee." Damnit. 

"Okey dokey! A dollar fifty please!"

Bog got out the correct change and slipped a couple extra dollars in the tip jar for the man. He himself worked for tips so knew when to tip. He was not really a morning person, and typically disliked people who were overly cheery in the mornings, but there was something about this man that he was drawn to. Kind of like when you find a color you really like and can't seem to stay away from. 

As Bog turned to leave and head back to the salon to see if Marianne had finally arrived, the shorter man called him back to the counter. 

"Hey! Did you just get hired at the salon across the street?"

"What? How did you..." Bog turned around with a quizzical expression. 

"Dawn and Marianne come in here all the time. I'm Sunny, and you must be Bog, right?"

"Yeah. Heh, well, pleased to meet you. Uhm...I suppose you wouldn't happen to know what kind of coffee Marianne likes would you?" For some reason, Bog was beginning to feel foolish again. No one brings coffee to their boss on the first day!

"Sure do! Her favorite is vanilla chai." Before Bog even had the chance to say "yay or nay," Sunny began making the drink. Bog fidgeted with his belt while he waited. Being as tall and skinny as he was made it hard to find jeans that fit properly. 

"There you go! It's on the house, so don't worry. I hardly ever charge them anyway." Sunny smiled (again) as he set the drink on the counter. Bog just grunted his reply and took the cup and left. 

_What a strange fellow..._ Bog thought to himself. He got back to his truck and noticed he was still the only person in the parking lot. 

9:01. Where in the hell was she? Nervousness began creeping up Bog's spine. What if something happened to her on her way to work? He didn't have her number yet to call her and find out. 

Before his musings could delve any deeper, a purple Honda Civic pulled into the parking lot. With a frazzled Marianne behind the wheel. She didn't seem to notice Bog leaning on the hood of his truck with his arms folded across his broad chest with a slightly irritated expression. 

"Oh shit..." drifted over to Bog's ears as he heard her car door open and a muffled thud. He trotted over to her. 

"Hey, Marianne, you alright...?" On the ground was the spilled contents of an old leather briefcase, one that had seen much better days. 

"Yes." She sighed, almost resigned, then said, "I'm fine. Hi."

"Uh, hi yourself." Bog looked down at the petite brunette. She had her hair in a slightly spiky fashion and dark purple eyeshadow. She wore black Capri leggings with a white button down top. There was a large red stain on the front. 

"Don't judge me please," Marianne rolled her eyes when she saw he had noticed the stain on her shirt. "I thought I could make it to work without spilling my breakfast."

"You didn't eat at home?" 

The question caught her off guard. It was such a silly and simple question, but one that sounded like he actually cared that she ate her breakfast or not. 

She looked down before replying, "I...I didn't have time."

"Oh..." Looking for a change of subject, Bog cleared his throat and gestured to the mess on the ground. "So, what's all this?" He bent down to start gathering some papers.

"Ugh, these are receipts and important documents that I haven't gotten a chance to go through yet. I was going to do them today, and hoped to get them to my office in one piece, but it looks like Monday is out to get me."

"Ha, I can see that." He didn't mean to, but his mouth quirked up into a smile. Marianne glowered at him as she crouched to retrieve her papers. 

"I know how it must look with your boss being late. Believe me, I'm normally never late." She piled as many as she could in one half of the broken briefcase and held her hand out for Bog to give her the rest. 

"Well...I guess I was a bit--" he stopped when he picked up a receipt for a deposit on a condo in Louisiana. "Thinking of moving?"

"Gimme that!" Marianne snatched the paper from Bog's hand and stood up, fists balled. She had forgotten about that particular receipt. 

"Hey, no need to get upset." Bog stood with his hands outstretched. If she wanted to move or wanted to winter away from the area, it wasn't any of his business. 

"I'm--I'm not." Marianne gathered the briefcase, holding it tight to her chest with one arm, while fumbling in her purse for her shop keys. 

_Great. Let's make even a bigger fool of yourself._ She thought, turning the key in the hole. 

Bog watched Marianne as she entered the salon. He recalled the night when he accidentally met her at the bar. Dawn had said the blonde douche who sang "C'mon Marianne" was Marianne's ex. Perhaps the receipt for the condo had something to do with him and that's why she got upset? Bog understood that feeling well. It wasn't that long ago that he--

"So, do you normally carry around two coffee cups?" Marianne gestured to the Hideaway cups her newest employee carried.

"Ah, actually," he extended the hand that held the vanilla chai, "this ones for you."

Marianne seemed to freeze for a moment, before looking down and biting her bottom lip.

"I knew there was a reason I hired you."

Bog's face turned crimson. 

"Mmm, vanilla chai..." she hummed happily after taking a sip from the cup. Her dark lipstick left a stain on the white lid. Bog's stomach did flip flops as he watched her lips move away from the cup.

"You did good, Bog. You get a gold star for guessing my favorite coffee flavor! Come with me!" She turned around and motioned with her hand for him to follow her. She led him to the office and opened the door. 

The room was small with not much decorating it, but there was a picture of Marianne and Dawn hanging on the wall with a woman who looked near identical to Marianne, if not 20 or so years older. There was an antique looking desk, the kind you'd find in an old cigar parlor, and a safe behind it piled high with chemical cards and client records. There was also a comfortable looking recliner in one corner that looked like it had seen many naps. 

"I know my office is a mess, but it's _my_ mess," Marianne said with authority as she took a seat in her chair and set the briefcase down. 

"Heh, I won't encroach on your territory, tough girl," Bog gave her a sideways grin as he relaxed in the chair opposite her. He noticed a pink coloring to her cheeks that wasn't there a moment ago. 

"Ahem, so Bog, since you've already filled out all the paperwork for me, all that's left for you is to work on client's." Marianne leaned on the desk and placed her chin in one of her hands. 

_Wow, her eyes are gorgeous..._

Bog had to mentally slap himself for thinking that about his boss. Ever since officially meeting her last week, he couldn't shake this tugging and nagging sensation at the back of his mind. He couldn't place the feeling, but it was almost as if he needed to be around her. Of course that was foolish. He had just met her, and no matter how amazing she seemed, he had sworn off certain things long ago. Plus she was his _boss_ for crying out loud!

 

 

Marianne spent the next hour going over salon policies--they were just the standard ones that anyone who's had a job would know--and giving Bog a tour of the salon and showed him how she ran things. 

"So this is the main break room. It's also the laundry room, and where color is mixed and tools are stored. It's, well, basically an everything room." She gave him an unsure smile. God, being alone in his presence was absolute torture for her! She put on her apron which covered up the ketchup stain, but it did little to ease her embarrassment. 

She hated that she was late for work and was sure she was making a complete fool of herself. She was certain that all he thought of her was a "little girl who's parents gave her everything." But no...he wasn't Roland--no where close. That thought alone was comforting. 

"Uhm...so, do you have any questions?" Marianne asked as she leaned against the door frame. 

"Several, but none about the salon." Bog's face lit up like a beacon again. He clearly hadn't meant to say that out loud. 

"O-oh!" Marianne blushed as well, catching on to his meaning. "Well, uhm, you can always ask me. And, I'd like to know more about you, Bog." She didn't mean to, but she actually batted her eyes at him.

"Uh..." He couldn't deny that he found Marianne attractive. She had a quick wit and actually seemed to enjoy his company--something he wasn't accustomed to. No matter. Nothing would come of it anyways. 

"How about, you ask me something, then I ask you?" Marianne suggested.

"Okay. Um... Why, uh, why were you late this morning?" Was the only question he could spit out. Way to go brain. Way to go. 

Marianne frowned and pursed her lips. Bog was practically a stranger to her, but she felt comfortable in his presence. Well, despite the awkward tension she felt slowly building in her groin... He seemed to actually care about her and wanted to hear what she had to say. And...he was kind enough to bring her coffee.

"My ex called me."

"Ah. Why--" Bog was about to ask why she even picked up, but it seemed like the fiery pistol was on a rampage now. 

"He called to talk about the condo. The same condo that I had the receipt for this morning." Her lips curled back in a sneer. "He wants me to go down to Louisiana for a month. A month! He wants to see if being around his family will make me take him back. More like trap me down there. Ha! Fat chance of that ever happening."

She felt herself starting to close up again. She was nervous that Bog might think she should go...

"He...is a liar and a pig."

"He is also quite stupid if he thinks you'd fall for a petty man like that again." Bog couldn't stop himself. He could see the hurt on her face and the wound where her heart should be. A wound he knew too well.

Marianne stared at him, completely speechless. Her big brown eyes stared into his crystalline blue ones. There was a cold anger hidden in them, but also a deep warmth, drawing her closer. 

Just as Marianne was about to ask her own question, the door opened and Dawn came bouncing in. 

"Good morning!" The lovely blonde skipped over to the two of them, stopped and eyed them suspiciously. "I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?"

At that, Bog and Marianne became aware of just how close they were standing. She was still propped against the doorframe, but was leaning towards Bog. He stood about a foot away from her. 

"No!" They both said at the same time and moved to their stations to look busy. Dawn watched her sister closely. If she didn't know any better, she might say that Marianne was developing feelings for him...

It was nearly noon before the first client arrived, and non-stop till closing time at 6. Bog proved his skills in not just using his shears, but also his clippers. There were several client's who came in that were nervous about having the tall tattooed man cut their hair, but soon warmed up to him. Old ladies loved him (it was probably his accent,) and the older men found such odd things to talk about him with.

"So, are you married?" Mary, Bog's client, had been asking him many personal questions over the course of her cut, but this one seemed to put him on edge. 

"No." Was the answer he gave.

"Humph. Well you should be," Mary stated matter of factly.

Bog set his jaw tight and finished her cut without another word no matter how hard the old lady tried to pry answers from him.

When he finished, he walked her to the desk and checked her out as quickly as he could without seeming rude.

Once Mary was out the door, Dawn made a mad dash to lock it. Bog gave her a quizzical look. 

"I don't want to take any chances of more clients coming in!" She explained before heading to the closet to grab the broom. 

"Ah." Bog looked down at the ticket he wrote and sighed. He knew he was rude to the lady, even if she did strike a nerve with all her personal pestering. He barely noticed Marianne as she slid in front of him by the counter. 

"You did great, Bog! I would have made a complete mess of that if I had her." She turned around to face him. Their bodies were so close the tips of their shoes were touching. Bog could smell Marianne's perfume and something else... Whatever it was, it made goosebumps rise on his entire body. 

Marianne's heart beat faster. She hadn't expected him to be that close. He smelled like cedar and fresh air with just a hint of...ink?

"Uhhh, are you two gonna help me clean, or what?" Dawn stood wide eyed, but quickly became amused as they pushed away from each other and nearly tripped over their feet to get onto the other cleaning duties. 

Oh man. Have they got it bad. Dawn smiled devilishly as pulled her phone out of her pocket to text Sunny.

>hey sunny, you'll never guess what I just witnessed.


	6. Taking care of needs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog teaches Marianne a new technique and she finds it a bit sexy.  
> Bog and Griselda have a good conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter gets a little "self-steamy" -wink wink- just a heads up. 
> 
> ((I'm too tired to think of a good note. Bare with me.))
> 
> Enjoy Strangers!

The next several weeks were complete torture for Marianne, but also some of the best she's had in months. Bog was proving to be one of the best stylists she'd ever been exposed to, and she was actually learning a lot from him. There was just one issue with her being around him all the time: her body felt this diabolical need to touch him, to be near him. She physically ached for him. Ugh, stupid physical needs...

She was in the middle of doing a clipper cut when she felt a warm, large hand on hers. Good thing she was using a guard cuz she jumped.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Bog murmured, making the client, Jeremy, chuckle. "Try holding the clippers like this--" he took her hand and moved it so it was palm up on the underside of the clipper instead of on top, "--and when you blend, don't rock the clippers," he guided her hand straight up, making a perfect blend on the mans head.

Marianne's legs turned into jelly, making it hard for her to focus on what he was teaching her. God, he smelled so fucking good...

"Do you get it?" He asked, taking his hand off of hers and stepping back.

"Yeah. Thanks..." Okay heart rate, go down any time now...

"No problem. I find that's a much easier way to hold the clippers, and it uses less strain on your wrist." He stepped back over to his station and finished cleaning up from his last client.

When Marianne completed the cut and checked to make sure everything was even, she noticed that this was one of her best cuts. Damn. Bog's tricks really helped!

"So, Miss Marianne," Jeremy started as he took out his wallet, "how've you been since...?"

"Oh you know. Busy." She got his change and told him, "Tell Veronica and the twins I said hi."

"Will do! And that's for you, dear," he laid a 10 on the counter before walking out the door.

Marianne smiled to herself. Jeremy and his wife had been coming to her salon for years, ever since her mom first opened it--and that was before she was even born. He always said her mom gave the best cuts...

"You alright?" Bog came up beside her as stealthy as a cat, making her jump a bit.

"Stop doing that!" She scolded and swatted his chest.

"Heh, I can't help it that I'm a quiet walker." He shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the wall with a smirk.

"Seriously though, how can a person as gangly as you be so silent?" Marianne often made this inquiry about him. She opened the till and exchanged the 10 for two 5's, then handed one to Bog. "Here. This is for teaching me your techniques. That was probably the best clipper cut I've done. So, thanks."

"And like I said, no worries though girl," he folded the bill and placed it back in her hand, his long fingers danced on her skin. A spark shot up Marianne's arm and straight to her lady parts.

_God woman! Get a grip on yourself!  
_

"Fine then. More for me." She tucked the bill into her pocket as she looked at the clock. It was about a 15 minutes away from closing time. "Do you want to get started on cleaning duties while I count down the till? We're closing a few minutes early tonight!"

"Why early?" Bog raised an eyebrow at her as he pulled all his tips from his pocket to exchange them for bigger bills.

"Cuz it's Friday and I'm the boss. And..." she looked down at the till before gathering the nerve to say, "We're gonna get dinner and hang out at the Flame tonight. Your welcome to join us."

"Oh, uh..." As much as Bog wanted to say yes, he really didn't want to go drinking. He and alcohol didn't mix well...

"Dawn and Sunny mostly want to go for karaoke. I'm going for the booze. We _want_ you to come." She stood and put her hands on her hips. It was hard to be intimidating to a person who was over 6 and half feet tall.

"I...suppose I don't have a say in the matter, do I?" Bog rolled his eyes. Inside he was laughing at the face Marianne was making, but of course he had to keep his well practiced scowl on. "I have some errands to run after work, so I'll miss dinner. But I'll be at the Flame."

"You better be," Marianne turned back to the till to count the money.

Bog moved to stand in front of the counter and leaned down so he was eye level with her. His amazing colored eyes sparkled with humor and seriousness.

"I promise I will." Then he walked back to his station, leaving a very flushed Marianne to count the till.

 

 

As Bog loaded the groceries in the back of his truck, he thought about skipping going out tonight. He really didn't want to drink, and knowing Marianne, she'd probably challenge him and he'd decline, and then she'd goad him on...

Bog groaned, slamming the door shut and jabbing the key in the ignition. He wasn't looking forward to driving the hour out to his moms and then back into town, but...he made a promise. One he had every intention of keeping.

 

"Which outfit should I wear out tonight?" Dawn ran out of the laundry room holding three different sets of clothes in her arms. She had rollers in her hair, a fuzzy pink bathrobe on, and matching slippers, as well as makeup half done.

Marianne regarded her sister with a raised eyebrow. She hadn't even been home for 30 seconds before being bombarded.

"Uhh, why does it matter? You know it's just karaoke and not a date with Sunny, right?" She threw her purse on the table and kicked off her shoes.

"It matters! Gosh, Marianne! You know--" Dawn bit her lip and took a deep breath before continuing, "I want tonight to be special for me and Sunny... I know it sounds silly, but..."

"No," Marianne started walking up the stairs, "it's not silly. You've been officially dating for a month today, right? You want to look nice."

"Well, yeah! But what should I wear?" Like a puppy, Dawn followed Marianne so close she almost tripped on her.

"Dawn."

"I have the pink sundress that's super cute; and then there's--"

"Dawn! I have to pee!" Marianne practically shouted over her sisters prattle.

"O-oh..." Dawn seemed to be aware she was standing in the doorway of the upstairs bathroom preventing her sister from closing the door. "Sorry..."

"Yeah." The second Marianne closed the door, a slight panic made its way up her throat. Bog was going to hang out with her tonight! Well, not her specifically, but... Oh God! What was she going to do? There was no way she could--

 _No, no. Calm down_. She said looking in the mirror. The sight almost frightened her. Her hair was everywhere--a tangled, snarly mess--and her makeup looked days old. Which, honestly wasn't a lie... She groaned, knowing she should probably shower.

After finishing her business, she opened the door and shouted so Dawn could hear her, "I'm going to take a shower! Wear the pink dress!"

She heard a muffled "okay!" as she shut the door. She grabbed a clean towel out of the closet and shimmied out of her work clothes. She had tons of nasty little hairs in her bra.

"Ew gross..." she grumbled to herself. Every day when she had to put on her "work bra" was the most dreaded time of her morning. She had several bras of course, but only 2 or 3 designated for work. She tried not wearing her cute ones there anymore because those fucking hair slivers never come out! One time she spent an hour picking hairs out with a tweezer. Totally not doing that again...

As she turned the water on in the large tub, she wondered what it would be like to shower with Bog.

"What?" She said out loud. _Where the hell did that come from?_ Okay, if she was being honest with herself, she would admit that she thought about those things a lot more often than she'd let on. Not that she'd done anything about it. She hadn't...pleasured herself since breaking it off with Roland.

The water was slightly chilly when she stepped into the shower, making her nipples harden instantly. She cupped her breasts tying to warm them, but instead heat flowed through her. Images of Bog's crooked smile and his teasing eyes flooded her mind.

"Marianne, no!" She yelled at herself. "He is your employee." That didn't stop her body from reacting as she moved her hands though. First it was just light squeezing, then she remembered his hand on hers and the way his breath tickled the light hairs on her ear.

Okay...maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she _did_ pleasure herself. Maybe that way she'd stop having these insane urges all the time!

Letting the now warm water run down her body, she imagined the trickles were Bog's fingers trailing down her skin. She began massaging her left breast, toying with her extremely hard nipple, and ran her right hand down her body...

_This is insane!!_

She stopped, realizing what she was about to do, and reached for her pomegranate shampoo. Annoyed, she scrubbed her scalp harder than necessary.

Her nipples ached with how turned on she was. Damn. Just that little bit of teasing...

She stood under the water again, bringing one hand down and over the curve of her waist, the other she slowly rotated over her breasts. Lower and lower her right hand went, before reaching her soft curls. She imagined Bog's long--oh so long--fingers replacing her own as she stroked one finger gently on the outside of her petals. Fire shot through her and she had to use the wall to steady herself. Oh God, she needed this.

Her breathing picked up as she entered between her folds. She was surprised at just how wet she was! Still using the wall to support herself, she spread her legs slightly and began to rub her fingers back and forth.

In her mind, Bog was standing behind her reaching around with his crazy large hands into her inner most parts. He was rubbing and prodding her entrance while biting her ear. Just as she began imagining what his dick was like, her fingers ghosted over her clit that had been burning for attention (like, seriously for weeks now.) Marianne let out a small moan as she applied more pressure. Not a lot, just more. She let her fingers rotate and rub, almost like they weren't her own. She could feel something inside her build, something that had been smothered down deep.

"Oh, yes, yes!" She gasped, entering herself with two fingers while her other hand dropped from the wall and came down to rub against her bud. The orgasm that followed brought Marianne down to her knees. She let out a small cry as the wave of heat and bliss burned through her body.

Months of pent up frustration, with weeks of added sexual tension, released in the form of tears down her cheeks. She wasn't sad or upset, or even overly happy, just...relieved.

Roland was never really that good at making her cum. She always felt like it was her fault, like there was something wrong with her for not being able to cum with him. They didn't have sex all that often--and surprise, surprise, now she knew why--but when they did she always tried to make it special. He never seemed to care. But now, who cares? If she wanted to use her imagination and pretend it was her extremely attractive, tatted up employee, then it was her every right and she shouldn't feel guilty about it.

Marianne leaned her head against the wall and breathed. Maybe now she could actually look at the man without getting jelly legs.

She hoped so anyway.

 

 

It was already 7:30 by the time Bog got back out to his mother's. If he hurried, he could eat and still have time to shower. He grabbed an apple out of one bag of groceries and turned around to head upstairs to shower.

"Ahem," Griselda stood on the stairs, blocking her son from going up.

"Oh, hi mom," Bog said through a mouthful of apple.

"Are you ever going to do anything besides work and come home? You need to get out there and--"

"Mother, I'm going out with my coworkers tonight. So," he sidestepped around her, "I'm going to finish my apple and take a shower."

"Oh. Well. Good. You should eat more besides an apple, Boggy. I'll make dinner while you spruce up."

"Sounds good."

Bog entered his room at the top of the stairs and fished around in his closet for something nice to wear. He choose a maroon colored polo along with a nice pair of jeans. At work he typically wore dress pants, but every once in a while he'd wear jeans. The bathroom was located right next to his bedroom, so he just stripped out of his clothes and dashed in, closing the door behind him.

 

 

Downstairs in the kitchen, Griselda hummed happily to herself as she made dinner. The past two months had been wonderful for her having her only child home. He'd spent many years overseas and she grew quite lonely without him. Of course, she did have her sister who visited frequently, and her nephew and his now fiancé would come out to the farm and visit, but it wasn't the same as having someone there all the time. Maybe she should get a dog?

Humph. What she really wanted was some grandbabies. Bog just turned 30 a couple months ago, and was well...not in any hurry to give her grandchildren anytime soon. Since he moved home, she tried setting him up with several women, but he wanted nothing to do with them. She couldn't really blame him. He did have a bad experience with--

"Hey, that smells good! What're you making?" Bog interrupted his mother's thoughts as he entered the kitchen, fresh shaved and showered. His hair was still wet and clung to his forehead.

"Dry your hair!" Griselda threw a clean dish towel at him. "I'm making quick salmon bowls. Hopefully they turn out better than last time."

"Well, don't put so much lemon in the rice this time," Bog advised as he slid into a chair. Now, he could hardly blame his mother for her cooking error--after-all, he was the one who decided to change his diet. He did find it sweet that she tried to adjust to it as well. 

Ever since he moved to Scottland about 6 years ago he stopped eating grains, legumes, and processed foods. So, when his mother says "rice" she means "cauliflower rice." Bog couldn't remember what regular rice tasted like.

"Don't you insult my cooking, young man. No woman would tolerate that," Griselda cocked a hip at him and waved the spatula in a oh-so-threatening way.

Bog snorted, "I wasn't insulting you, mother."

"Pah. So," she turned back to flip the salmon, "what made you decide you wanted to go out with your coworkers? Did that cute little Dawn ask you out?" She said with too much hope.

"Ugh, mother please!" Bog threw the towel at her and made a rude noise in the back of his throat. "She has a boyfriend, and even if she didn't, she is definitely _not_ my type."

"Oooh, so you have a _type_ now?" Again, she said this with too much hope.

"No!" He growled and yanked on his shoes.

"Oh relax. Don't be such a grump!" She piled a bowl with "rice," salmon, nori strips, avocado, and sesame seeds, and placed it in front of her son.

"I'm not grumpy..." Bog grumbled before scarfing down the entire contents within minutes.

"Don't you know how to chew?" Griselda teased as she sat down to eat her bowl.

"Can't. Gotta go if I wanna meet them at the bar before they get too--" he stopped himself from finishing that sentence.

"Boggy..." Griselda put down her fork and grabbed her son's hand. "I'm proud of you. Don't you ever doubt that. And, I know things got bad after..." seeing his face made her change her words, "when you moved. But, it most certainly doesn't mean other people are bad for drinking."

Bog let out a long sigh. He knew what she was getting at, and tried to explain himself without being an ass. "Look, I know other people aren't bad for drinking. I just...can't."

Griselda let go of his hand and picked up her fork again. She knew he still suffered from certain events, and she knew he may never recover from them. That was the hardest part for her about being a parent; seeing her child in pain and not being able to help.

"Alright, alright. Well, you should head out if you want to make it in time."

"Yeah... Thanks for dinner. The rice was good," Bog stood up and grabbed his car keys off the table and opened the door. "Oh, expect maybe next time--"

"Go, you brat!"

She heard laughter from behind the kitchen door and smiled. At least he was healing.


	7. Drinking too much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne gets a little more than drunk and Bog has to take care of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is basically a drunk chapter. I tried to write it so it was mostly from Bog or Dawn's perspective, because when your drunk you don't really think. 
> 
> I did have fun with this chapter though! We get to see Bog starting to get stronger feelings for Marianne, despite her intoxicated state. 
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments! 
> 
> Enjoy Strangers!

Dawn, Marianne, and Sunny arrived at the Flame about twenty minutes ago. Sunny was nursing a beer, Dawn sipped on a cosmopolitan, and Marianne...well, she already had several shots of hard liquor. 

"Jeez, Marianne! What's your problem?" Dawn, the ever present worry wart, handed her sister a glass of water to chase the shot she just gulped. 

"Nothing! I just..." And now the room was spinning. Okay, maybe she shouldn't have taken that fourth shot of tequila. "Ohh boy..." Now she was grateful for the water. She drank it fast, not giving her body a chance to recognize it as a positive liquid she was ingesting. 

The current song ended, signaling that it was Sunny's turn to sing. He kissed Dawn on the cheek before hopping off his stool and heading to the stage. He started singing "Say Hey!" which was one of Dawn's favorites, but since Marianne decided early on that she was gonna get shit faced, didn't really make the younger woman want to leave her side. 

Alright, so maybe Marianne didn't _decide_ to get shit faced--just have a few drinks to calm her nerves--but she was so anxious! Bog was supposed to hang out with them tonight, but he still wasn't there. He did promise, but for her...promises didn't mean much. Roland always made promises he never kept, so that made her wary of others.

Dawn sighed and stared at her boyfriend.   
Marianne noticed and poked Dawn's cheek. "Heeeeey, wats wrong, sis? You and Sunny okay?"

"What?! Yes of course!" Dawn batted Marianne's finger away from her face, which made the brunette giggle. Oh yeah. She was definitely drunk.

"So, when is Boggy gonna get here?" Dawn asked coyly. She could see the way her sister watched the man like she was a starved animal waiting for her dinner. But...it was more than that. Marianne'd light up when he was around and actually have conversations with him. They never really talked about personal stuff, but...they seemed to click and fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. It was sad that neither of them realized it, though. 

"He'd better get here soon..." Marianne actually pouted! She leaned over the table and said (kind of loudly) in Dawn's ear, "Hey Dawn... Can I ask you something? But, but pleeeease don't tell Sunny!" 

"What is it?" Dawn scooted around to sit next to her. 

"No judgment?"

"No judgment."

Marianne looked around--which made her head spin--making sure no one else was listening, before saying, "Would it be bad if I fucked Bog?"

Whelp. That was subtle. 

"What? Uhhh, n-no? I guess not..." 

"Dawn, what do I do?!" Marianne flopped her head against her sister's shoulder. "He makes me all twisty inside! I don't know what to do!"

"Maybe just _talk_ to him? Tell him how you feel. But whatever you do, do _not_ start off with asking him to have sex!" 

Marianne started giggle-crying on her sister when Sunny came back from singing. 

"Hey, what happened?" He asked, taking a seat next to Dawn, who seemed a little more than annoyed. 

"Ugh, it's the first time she's gotten this drunk in months, is what happened." 

Sunny enjoyed having a few drinks as much as the next person, but the way Marianne did it made him want to pour the rest of his drink out and never touch a drop again.

"Nun-uh! I'm--" The alcohol in Marianne's veins made her emotions flare up and her act out rashly most of the time, otherwise she would never say this to her sister: "Okay, yeah, I'm pretty drunk, but why are you _judging_ me? That's a total bitch move, Dawn." Marianne got up from the table, feelings and pride slightly hurt, and staggered over to the bar. She ordered three more shots which she downed one right after the other. 

"Impressive!" Came a rustic voice from behind her, "But you might regret that tomorrow."

Marianne turned around so fast that she fell off her stool. Luckily, Bog was there to catch her. If she thought getting off in the shower had solved any problems, she was sorely mistaken. Just having him hold her arms steady sent flashing waves of heat through her and a throbbing in her core! 

_Stupid fucking needs...  
_

"You came!" Without thinking--all cognitive thought was _way_ gone at this point for her--Marianne flung her arms around Bog's neck in a display of pure happiness. She honestly thought he wouldn't show up.

Bog's eyes bugged out slightly he was so surprised. His insides tightened up when she slipped a little further and her breasts pressed against his torso. 

"Oh, uh, y-yeah..." He pulled her back up and steadied her so she was at least standing. 

"You make me happy, Bog," she declared with a toothy, drunken smile, arms still wrapped around him. 

There was no rational way for him to react to that, so he just brushed it off as her being drunk. He would never admit it at the time, but her words made his heart give a tender squeeze. 

"Pfft, yeah right." 

Since it didn't seem like she wanted to let go, he let her lean on him as he meandered over to the table where he saw Sunny and Dawn.

"No, nooo. I'm serisss. Serious!" She slurred and giggled. Bog rolled his eyes. He knew it was slightly inappropriate seeing his boss in such an inebriated state, but he couldn't deny he found it terribly amusing. And also...he didn't mind that she held onto him for support.

As soon as they made it to the table, Sunny greeted Bog, "Hey man! How's it going?"

"Not too bad," Bog replied, then said to Marianne, "You're gonna have to let go so I can sit, tough girl."

"Mm-mm!" She shook her head, nuzzling deeper in his side.

Bog's mouth twitched up into a smile. As irritating as drunk people were to him, he found Marianne to be almost...cute. He knew what it was like to be this drunk and to use someone as support. He also figured that if she let go, she'd probably fall. But...why choose him?

"Can we get you anything to drink, Boggy?" Dawn asked as she hopped down off her stool, not even looking at her sister. 

"Bog. No thanks. Just water is fine."

"Okay."

As she made her way to the bar, Dawn was torn between feeling sad and happy. Her feelings were hurt since Marianne called her a "bitch," but she was also relieved that she probably wouldn't remember it in the morning. And then that made her sad again. Dawn just wanted to have a fun time with her boyfriend and sister and Bog. Now everything was ruined because Marianne just _had_ to use alcohol as her stupid crutch to be in a social situation. 

Dawn got everyone at the table a glass of water, and made her way back. Bog got Marianne to sit in her own chair, though he was sitting close enough that their chairs were touching. She was running her fingers lightly over the patterns of his tattoo on his right arm. 

Bog's right sleeve was rolled up part way to expose his bicep, where it looked like waves and koi fish trailing down his arm into thick, intricate vines, and ending at roots near his wrist. There were many types of flowers that went up both arms, most were recognizable; lilies, peonies, cherry blossoms, and white little flowers with tiny black dots. 

Marianne traced a finger over the one with black dots and asked, "Wat kinda' flurer is this one?"

"That's a pear blossom." Normally Bog would never allow anyone to get this close to him, but...he _really_ did not mind Marianne touching him. He decided then that she could touch him whenever she wanted and he probably wouldn't care at all.

"Why do you have so many flower tattoos, Bog?" Sunny asked. He looked over at Dawn, who looked like she was going to cry, and grabbed her hand. She gave his fingers a light squeeze and a thank-you smile. 

"Ah, well...it's a rather boring story," Bog waved his hand in a dismissive gesture and grabbed his glass of water.

"Aw c'mon, Boggy! Now you gotta tell us!" Dawn piped up, honestly interested. She was beginning to feel better now that Marianne had her main focal point. She still stung at being called a bitch, but...her sister really _shouldn't_ drink that much.

"Uh..." Bog squirmed in his chair. He hated being the center of attention, especially if he felt like he had to explain himself. But these people were his...friends. He should feel comfortable around them. With that thought in mind, he glanced at Marianne. Her topaz eyes were half lidded and glued on him, and her mouth hung partially open. Her small, pink tongue darted out to moisten her top lip.

"C'mon, Bog. Share yer tattoo story wiv us," she whispered with a sultry tone to her voice. Suddenly it seemed like tight jeans were the wrong pants to wear tonight. 

"Ah, alright." He turned his body to the left and rolled his sleeve up to expose more of his left arm tattoo. At the top, there was a lovely canopy to a giant oak tree, which still extended to the rest of his shoulder. As the tree came down his arm, the bark became more visible and separated into roots, mirroring his right arm. Also like his right arm, there were many flowers woven intricately into the bark of the tree, but also butterflies and dragonflies as well. 

"The tree is my father; strength, eternity, and protection. Uhm, the butterflies are the people important to me, like my mother and grandmothers..."

"Aw, that's really sweet, Boggy!" Dawn placed a hand over her heart, clearly touched by his explanation.

"Heh, well--"

"What 'bout the dragonflies?" Marianne reached across his body, squishing his right arm, and gently touched a dragonfly. The position was slightly uncomfortable, so Bog instinctively moved his arm around Marianne's waist, his hand resting carelessly on her hip. 

The two of them froze, realizing how close they were. Of course, Marianne was still extremely drunk, but Bog was as clear-headed as a holy man. Slowly, he turned his head to look at her. Would she be angry that he was being so bold with her? Well, she'd been manhandling him for the past half hour, so...

Time seemed to stop for a moment when Bog noticed how Marianne licked her lips again and batted her eyes, leaning closer to him.

_Holy shit!_

Bog gulped, being completely enveloped by her honey eyes that seemed to glow with an unspoken need. A need that seemed to match his own...

Just as Bog was about to lean in himself, Sunny announced loudly, "Well, I'm going to pick another song. Be right back!" 

Bog jumped, pulling away from Marianne. She seemed as dazed as he was, and just as sad at the lack of contact. Probably more so. She still placed her head on his shoulder to make the room stop spinning. 

"I gotta pee. I'll be right back..." Marianne slid off her stool and used the wall to guide her way to the restroom. Those last three shots were starting to catch up to the first four. 

Dawn took the opportunity to get Bog's attention, saying loud enough for only him to hear: "Marianne drinks _way_ too much."

"What?" 

"I wanted to have fun tonight, but it seems like I'll just be _babysitting_ my sister. Any minute now and she'll either be puking or blacked out..."

"Uh...I...I can "babysit" her for you." 

Dawn looked at Bog, seeming like she wanted him to explain himself for his bold offer. She hadn't meant for him to take care of her sister for her, but... But, if he did then she might actually get to spend time with Sunny tonight! If all went well, tonight might be the night they did a _bit_ more than kiss. Oh god she hoped so!

Bog just shrugged and said, "I have lots of experience dealing with drunk people."

"That would be so amazing of you. Could you take her home and..." Dawn bit her lip, not entirely sure what she should say. " _Go home and_ don't _have sex with my sister,_ " didn't really sound good.

"Give me your address. I'll make sure she gets home safe." Now Bog was all too eager to leave. He hated bars in the first place and now he had an excuse to leave!

Dawn rooted around in her purse and pulled out a keychain with a fuzzy pink puffball and handed it to him.

"This is my house key. You can stay the night if you want. Marianne's room is at the top of the stairs. Otherwise, if she's too heavy you can always put her in the bedroom at the bottom of the stairs." She said all this while sending Bog her address via text message. 

"Uhh..." Bog held the key with a feeling of apprehension. 

_What the fuck did I just do?  
_

After five or so minutes passed, Sunny came back to the table.

"I just ran into-- Hey, where's Marianne?" He asked noticing the empty seat.

"She's probably still in the bathroom. I'll go get her..." 

Dawn opened the bathroom door and found her sister sitting on the floor by the toilet with her head tilted back. 

"You know this floor is gross, right?" She demanded, not in the mood for drunk sisters. 

"I know," Marianne replied, still staring at the ceiling. 

"Marianne, you have to stop doing this."

"I know."

"Then why do you continue to get drunk practically every weekend? We were supposed to have fun tonight and sing karaoke. Not sit on the bathroom floor of a bar wishing we didn't drink so much."

"I--" Marianne wretched herself forward, over the side of the toilet almost missing it. Seeing her sister vomit almost made Dawn loose her dinner, but she took a deep breath and breathed through her mouth. She stayed with her through three more waves of puke, till she was dry heaving. 

"Marianne," Dawn said soothingly, knowing her sister was pretty much blacked out and wouldn't remember any of this night, "Bog's gonna take you home, okay?"

"N-noooo..." the brunette blubbered, tears starting to pool from her eyes. 

"But, you need to go home. M-mom's waiting for you..." Dawn hated herself deeply knowing that would be the only thing to get Marianne off that disgusting floor. 

"Sh-she is?" The inebriated woman lolled her head to look at her sister. 

"Y-yeah. Now get up, so Bog can take you home, okay?"

"Okay..." Marianne finally stood with the help of her sister, and made it back to the table in one piece. 

Sunny could tell right away that Dawn had to use their mother as the excuse to get Marianne moving, because the whites of her eyes were red with unsure tears. 

"I can take her," Bog easily lifted Marianne into his arms and carried her outside to his truck. The cool night air seemed to sober her up enough to ask what was happening. 

"I'm going to take you home and put you to bed, okay?" He said as he buckled her in. He rolled down the window before closing the door. 

"Okay..." she managed before dozing off again. 

"Bog--" Dawn made a move to stop him before getting in his truck. 

"Dawn, it's alright. She isn't the first person to get black out drunk. If she wants to tell me why, then that's her business. I won't pry." He may not pry, but that certainly didn't mean he wouldn't give her a lecture.

The petite woman seemed relieved by what he said. "Thank you, Boggy."

"It's not a big deal." With that, he started his truck and loaded the GPS with the address Dawn texted him. 

_What the fuck am I getting myself into?_

 

 

When Bog arrived at the address Dawn had giving him, he parked on the road and rolled up the windows of his truck. Marianne was out cold. She didn't even so much as stir when he reached across her to roll up her window, not to mention when he carried her into the house and up the stairs to her bedroom. 

Before he laid her in the bed, Bog made a daring move and bent his head just enough to rest in her hair. She smelled like a summers day and bit of booze. Her hair was so soft against his cheek, he couldn't help turning a bit more and ever so gently pressing his lips to her forehead.

Realizing what he'd done, he quickly set her in the unmade, rumpled up bedding and covered her. He didn't feel it was right to undress her, so he left her in her clothes.

Something stirred in him, making him run his fingers gently through her soft locks. What was it about this woman that he was so drawn to? He cared about her well being--not just because she signed his paychecks--but also because she was...different. Not in the sense that she was weird, or that she was too different to be socially accepted, but...there was a strength to her that he found alluring. And she didn't seem like the types of girls he'd been accustomed to. Even Dawn could seem a bit shallow at times, but Marianne was straightforward and headstrong. Different. That's was Bog liked. 

As he pulled his hand away from her hair, she stirred slightly and reached for him, mumbling incoherent words. 

"Marianne, your gonna have to speak up. I can't understand you when your face is in the pillow," he said, slightly amused. 

"Stay with me..." she moaned.

Bog's heart rate sped up so fast, he was afraid it would beat right out of his chest. Surely she didn't mean in the same bed as her? 

"Do you want me to sleep on the couch?" He asked. It seemed logical to him anyway.

"Nooo...here..." she opened her eyes slightly to look at him. They looked like polished pieces of topaz. Before passing out again she mumbled, "With me..."

"Okay..." Bog whispered softly. In all honesty, he didn't feel weird about it. Maybe a bit strange as he pulled off his shoes and sat on the other side of the bed. Her bedsheets had purple butterflies on them, matching the pillows, and the comforter was an eggplant purple with a gold paisley pattern sewn into it. A well-loved, patterned fuzzy blanket was all twisted up with the rest of the blankets.

Before laying down, Bog _had_ to fix the blankets. He pulled them off the bed--Marianne still snoring away--and pulled the bedsheets up to her shoulders, then he fluffed the blanket and laid it gently over the whole bed. He wasn't sure what to do with the fuzzy blanket, so he untwisted it and laid it over Marianne with a corner touching her face. It just seemed like the right thing to do. 

_Alright...now what?  
_

Bog sighed and ran his hand down his face. This wasn't the first time he shared a girls bed platonically, and it didn't really bother him. It was the fact that Marianne was his boss, but...he didn't really think of her that way. It had nothing to do with her being younger than him, it was more that he thought of her as an equal.

He sighed again as he sat on the bed. He normally only slept in his boxers and hated sleeping with constricting clothes on, but this was a situation where clothes were obviously required. Gritting his teeth, he pulled the covers back and slid onto the bed. 

_Hmm, comfy_ , he thought. 

He wasn't really tired yet, so he pulled out his phone to check emails and texts. There were several from his mother.

10:00pm > _Bog did you make it to town?  
_

10:11pm> _text me when you get this.  
_

10:20pm > _How's hanging out?  
_

10:30pm> _are you ever going to respond?_

10:32pm> _Bog_!

10:40pm> _your not drinking are you?  
_

10:41pm> _so help me, I don't care how old you are, I will put you over my knee and give you a paddling!  
_

Bog had to chuckle at that one. 

< _hello mother, no I'm not drinking. My boss got wasted and I'm taking care of her. I won't be home tonight._

After hitting send, he immediately regretted it. He knew his mother would instantly think--oh dear.

< _We are NOT doing anything! She's completely blacked out. Don't you dare even suggest what I know your thinking!  
_

Griselda's response was quicker than he anticipated.

> _And what am I thinking? You were always such a gentleman, Boggy. I know you wouldn't do anything to a girl who's too drunk to know better. Anyway, have a good night. I'm off to bed. Good to know your safe._

Reading that made Bog smile. It was true that he would never do anything to a girl who was drunk. He sighed a breath of relief and opened his YouTube app to watch some tattooing videos. God, he missed tattooing. He wondered if maybe Marianne would let him set up a station in the salon.

It was quarter to midnight when Bog adjusted his position to lay with his right arm above his head and hold the phone with his left hand. There was no way he could have prepared himself when Marianne rolled over and threw her arm around him and her leg over his. She snuggled herself as close as she could get. 

Bog's initial reaction was to push her off and run away, but then he looked down at her sleeping face and noticed how perfectly she fit against him. He decided now would be a good time to put his phone down and go to sleep. As he reached over to place it on the bedside table, a strange thought ran through his mind. 

_I wonder what it would be like to stay like this with her.  
_

He brushed the thought away like clearing cobwebs from a dusty corner. There was no way a girl like Marianne would take notice of him (especially while sober.) She was beautiful, smart, had great business skills, and was generally a kind person. 

The need to hold her closer was so great, Bog moved his arm so it wrapped around her shoulders. He dared to kiss her forehead again, causing her to make a happy sleep sound and push herself higher into his armpit. Her right hand gripped his shirt, balling it up in her fist. 

For the first time in a long time, Bog found himself drifting off to sleep with pleasant thoughts in his head.


	8. Are we friends now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog and Marianne's relationship blossoms into a lovely friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many shenanigans, so little time!! ;) 
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> Enjoy Strangers!

Something stirred Marianne awake. Like, a burning in her gut. Like...

"Oh shit!" She flung the covers off and ran to the bathroom just in time to make it to the toilet. She didn't puke up much, which made her think that she must have last night.

Speaking of last night, how did she make it home? She flushed the toilet and stood up to face her horrifying reflection. Her eyes were bloodshot and her makeup was everywhere.

"Ugh..." she groaned. She only remembered having a few shots.

Pushing the thought aside, she reached for her toothbrush and noticed a bottle of Tylenol and a cup on the counter.

 _Aw, Dawn_... She promptly took 2.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, the scent of fresh coffee and fried eggs drifted up the stairs to her nose. She followed the glorious scent to the kitchen.

As she rounded the corner, Marianne started saying, "Dawn, what hap-- Bog! What are you doing here?"

"Oh! Good morning!" He greeted her with a dashing smile that made her stomach twist. The image of this sexy man in her kitchen, cooking her breakfast sent little stabs through her stomach into her core.

_Oh fuck me!_

"Dawn asked if I would bring you home last night," he explained, letting the eggs to cook by themselves and poured her a cup of coffee.

"O-oh! That...makes sense. So, did you--"

"Leave Tylenol in the bathroom for you? Yes. I uhh...ran to the grocery store this morning. You didn't have eggs or, well anything really..." he chuckled nervously as he returned to said eggs. There was no way in hell Bog was going to tell her that he slept in the bed with her last night.

When he woke up this morning, they were facing each other in the bed; her legs were wrapped around his and his face was buried in her hair. And...he knew she didn't mean to do it, but her hand was in his crotch. That was definitely something he wasn't going to tell her! She'd probably hate him if he did...

"Aw, Bog you didn't have to. That's really sweet." Marianne walked over to the fridge and pulled out her favorite creamer. She swished the bottle, dismayed that she was almost out. Oh well, there was enough for one cup.

Bog was glad he faced away from her, for his cheeks lit up like a Christmas tree.

"It's nothing."

"So, what happened last night?" She leaned against the counter near him and sipped on her coffee.

"Uhh...well, when I got to the bar, you were already pretty drunk. You...uhm," he had to pause for a moment to think about how he wanted to word his sentences, "You asked about my tattoos and--

"I didn't do anything super embarrassing, did I?" Marianne looked almost mortified. Her eyes were absolutely huge. Bog couldn't help the smile that formed on his face.

"Not really. Besides, everyone does stupid stuff when they're drunk. Believe me, I know." With that, the eggs were done and he dished them on two plates that already had thick bacon, and toast on one plate.

"Do you do stupid stuff when your drunk?" Marianne asked as she grabbed two forks out of the silverware drawer.

"Ah, no. I don't drink. I used to though. I used to do a lot of stupid things."

"What do you mean, you don't drink?" She followed him over to the table and sat next to him.

"I just don't. Like I said, I used to." He picked up a nice crispy piece of bacon and took a bite.

"So, you don't drink like, at all? Not even on special occasions or with dinner? Not even a Bloody Mary?" Marianne had never heard of such a thing!

Bog let out a small laugh, "Not a drop. I...it's not..." he seemed to be mulling something over in his head, trying to piece out how to put this conversation together.

Marianne poked her fork around in her eggs, not sure how eating would agree with her tummy. Bog noticed and nudged her. She crinkled her nose at him and took a bite. They were very good eggs.

"Did you cook these in the bacon grease?" She asked to get off the topic of drinking.

"Yup. Greasy food is the best cure for a hangover."

"Hmm."

Marianne finished her eggs rather quickly, and then ate all her bacon and the toast. She looked at Bog's plate and saw he had one piece of bacon left. Feeling a little mischievous, she snatched it off his plate and toyed with it in her fingers.

"Hey! Excuse me, ma'am, but I do believe that is _my_ bacon your so rudely fondling."

"Oh, is it?" She brought it against her bottom lip, but Bog grabbed her wrist. He easily took the piece from her fingers and broke it in half. He held one half in front of her mouth for her to take. Marianne giggled and took his offered piece gently with her teeth.

"I don't mind sharing, tough girl," he said, his accent making the "r" and "l" roll together flawlessly. There was nothing she wanted more in that moment than to shove the plates onto the floor and mount him right then!

_Calm down, Marianne! Jeez!_

Out of instinct, Marianne moved closer to him. She saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, and a blush on his cheeks. Did...did he find her attractive?

"So, uhh," Bog cleared his throat, and leaned back, "I want to tell you something. If you'll let me."

"Oh, sure. What is it?" Marianne sat back in her chair feeling rather foolish.

"Okay. I just want you to know that this has nothing to do with you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin. Or at least that's what it looked like. Bog flipped it around in his fingers before sliding it on the table over to Marianne.

It was the size of a half dollar, but instead of a head on it there was a triangle and the words "To thine own self be true," and "Unity, Service, Recovery." It was a 1 year sobriety coin. Marianne looked over at Bog with wide eyes.

"You...you attend AA?" She was shocked. This must be a hard thing for him to admit. Now she felt horrible for asking him to go out last night...

"Yeah. That's just my one year coin. I've been sober for 3, almost 4 years now though," he picked the coin back up and rubbed his thumb over the words.

"Why...uhm...why carry your one year coin around? And not your most recent?"

Bog seemed to take another moment to reflect before saying, "Because that first year of sobriety was the hardest year of my life. I carry this one to remind me of why. Why I drank. And it helps to remind me not to. I know it sounds silly, but whenever I get the urge to drink I pull it out and rub it. It's soothing. For me anyways."

Marianne was quiet for a few minutes, trying to gather her thoughts. Bog used to be an alcoholic? That didn't seem right. Bog was...smart, and kind, and good at his job. He was a sweet man who made her breakfast. He was...Bog.

When she didn't say anything, Bog told her, "I won't lecture you and tell you how drinking can ruin your life, because you have to figure out why you are doing it on your own."

Marianne felt sick, and not just from being hungover. She was so ashamed of herself for wanting to drink to forget. For using alcohol as a crutch.

"Bog, I... I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? You didn't know. It's not something I go around telling people." He stood up and grabbed the dirty plates from the table and brought them over to the sink to wash. He was in the middle of debating with himself whether he should tell her why he used to drink, when he felt small hands touch his back and slide around his torso. Bog nearly dropped the plate he was washing.

"You didn't have to tell me," Marianne mumbled into his back. "I'm grateful that you did, so...thank you."

"It's no problem, tough girl," Bog grasped one of her hands and gave a light squeeze. He honestly didn't think she'd ever hug him (sober anyways). In fact, he'd never been hugged like this before. It was nice.

Before things started getting heavy and weird, he unclasped her hands and turned around.

"Well, now that your up and about and fed, I shall take my leave, Miss Summers."

"Oh..." Marianne's spirits fell. She really wanted to spend more time with him. The man had shared a deep burden with her, and now she felt slightly obligated to share hers. Just...maybe not yet.

Bog walked over to the door while saying, "It was nice having breakfast with you. You, uh, should take a nap. It'll help." With that he opened the door and walked across the street to his truck.

Marianne had to stop herself from running after him. Instead, she stood at the doorway and waved to him as he drove off.

 

 

"I told Marianne about being in AA," Bog said to his mother over dinner that night. He'd been obsessing over it all day and had to talk about it with someone.

"Oh? How'd she take it?" Griselda looked at her son sideways, like she knew a secret.

"She...apologized. Heh, I don't know why."

"Well, maybe she felt bad about wanting to go out drinking with you."

"Yeah, but there's no need for her to feel that way..." the thought that maybe Marianne cared for him as more than a friend occurred to him, but he certainly wasn't going to entertain the thought.

"True as that may be, she still apologized. That's something," she said with a wink.

"Hmph."

"Oh! I forgot to tell you! Guess who I ran into the other day!" Griselda clapped her hands together in excitement.

"Uhh, I have no idea. Who?" Bog put down his fork and reached for his glass of water.

"I saw Kiah! She's--"

Water entered the wrong pipe when he heard the name Kiah. He was coughing violently, but managed to choke out, "W-what?!"

"Breathe, Boggy. She's just in town visiting her--"

"You know what? I-I don't feel so well. I'm...gonna head to bed," Bog stood up from the old kitchen table and left his half eaten dinner on the table.

"Wh--? Aren't you gonna finish your dinner? Don't you want to hear--?"

"I'm not...hungry anymore, mother. Just save it for lunch tomorrow. Good night."

Griselda sighed. It was moments like these that she missed her husband greatly. He and Bog were so close. It'd been just over 13 years since he died. If anyone knew what to say to him, it would be his father.

Bog barely made it up the stairs to his bedroom in one piece. His knees felt like jelly, and his heart was hammering so hard against his ribs he was afraid he might pass out. Luckily, he made it to his bed safe. He flopped face down onto the mattress, breathing in the scent of home.

In, 1-2-3.

Out, 1-2-3.

In, 1-2-3.

Bog repeated the process several more times until he was sure he could move without being sick. Just as he was about to roll, he felt his pocket vibrate with a text message. He reached to grab his phone and saw it was Marianne.

> _Hey, Bog, I was just wondering if you maybe wanted to hang out tomorrow?  
_

Hang...out? She wanted to spend time with him? She actually wanted to spend time with him after he told her about AA! A new kind of rhythm took over his heartbeat.

< _Sure! What'd you have in mind?_ _  
_

_> Want to just come over and we can make dinner together and watch a movie?_

He gulped. Holy shit, she legit wanted to be friends with him! At first Bog wasn't sure if he had an aneurysm and died for this to be happening, or if his luck changed. The aneurysm seemed more likely...

_< Sounds perfect! I'll supply the food if you supply the movie. I like just about anything. But please, for the love of God, no chick-flicks!_

_> Ew! Who do you think I am? I was thinking something like The shining or Silence of the Lambs._

Yup. Definitely an aneurysm.

< _Want me to surprise you with what we're having for dinner?  
_

_> Sure ;)  
_

_> oh god! I totally meant to send a *:)_

Bog actually laughed out loud. He knew she meant to send just a regular smiley face, but couldn't help thinking that he wanted it to be an innuendo. He shook his head to clear it of such thoughts.

< _it's all good. I know what you meant.  
_

Wanting to prolong the conversation a bit longer, he texted:

<Are you feeling any better?

She seemed to take a long time responding to this question, but when she finally sent the text, he felt a tight squeeze in his heart.

> _I feel tons better thanks to you. I took a nap like you suggested and just spent the day in bed. I remembered something kind of embarrassing I did last night, but I want you to know I meant it 100% when I told you that you make me happy.  
_

Everything was too much for him in that moment. His mother mentioning Kiah, his stunning boss/friend saying that to him, and finally having friends after so many years. Bog grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. His heart couldn't bear the turmoil of waves that seemed to he everywhere the past few months. Tossing him around like he was nothing but driftwood.

He knew he should respond to Marianne, but he had no idea how. What should he say to that? "You make me happy too," would be so stupid! And so simple, almost expected. What he really wanted to say, he knew he shouldn't. Knew that if he did, things would never be the same... So instead, he sent:

< _Marianne, you are amazing. Your the first person who sees me for who I am. So yes, you make me happy too._

Okay, no more texting. Bog had a busy day ahead of him tomorrow.

First, he plugged in his phone, and then stripped off his shirt. He felt kind of gross for wearing the same shirt for so long, and he still kind of smelled like Marianne's bedding. Her bedding... It was strange for him to grab his shirt and smell it, just trying to hang onto her scent for as long as possible. Was this creepy? Maybe a little bit, but he wasn't doing it to be a creep. Marianne made him feel things he thought he'd never feel again. Images of her eyes flashing and hips sashaying as she walked away flooded his mind.

He began unbuttoning his pants just as they became a bit tight.

_Oh c'mon now..._

What Bog needed was a cold shower to rid his mind of these thoughts about his boss/friend.

As Bog shimmied out of his boxers and socks, he thought that maybe if he just--

 _Don't you dare do it Bog King!_ He knew what would happen if he started fantasizing about her... What with her plump lips and curves...

He kept the shower temperature rather cool, telling himself that if he concentrated on the cold water, his slowing rising issue would go away and he wouldn't have to worry about it.

Five minutes later though, as he was washing his body, his penis betrayed him, becoming that much harder.

"No," he said out loud and proceeded to turn the cold water up. He gasped feeling the rapid temperature change. But looking down, it seemed to have solved his problem.

"Ha! So there!" He yelled at his dick. He won this round. It's the small victories that count, right?

However, when Bog got back to his bedroom, he saw that he had another text message. From Marianne.

_> I'm really glad that I met you. I can't wait to hang out tomorrow! :D  
_

Damnit. And now blood was flowing back to places it shouldn't be!

_Oh for fucks sake!_

Though try as he might, It seemed like his fantasies wouldn't be denied. So... maybe he could do it. Just to relieve himself? It's not like she'd find out. Right?

Right. His penis seemed to agree, becoming fully erect.

So what if he was a little nervous about fooling around with himself? This certainly wasn't the first time, but...the first time he'd be thinking about someone he sees practically everyday.

Bog started off slowly, just to get into the swing of things, so to speak. When he became more aroused, he reached into the drawer and grabbed his lotion. He heated it in his hands before returning to business.

Slowly he stroked himself, up and down, slightly squeezing at the base and working his way up. In his mind, Marianne lay naked by his side, rubbing her soft breasts against his side. Her hands replaced his own. Groaning, he closed his eyes to picture her better.

Oh god, this felt so naughty...but so right at the same time. Picturing Marianne actually felt normal. Like he did it all the time. It wasn't just her looks he was attracted to; it was her personality. Her laugh. Her smile. When she was tracing his tattoos. The way she'd put her hand on her hip when she was being saucy...

He was getting close. In his mind he pictured Marianne sitting on top of him, leaning down and whispering, "Cum for me, Bog..."

 _Oh fuck!_ And he did just that, lifting off the bed a bit. His release sent waves of pleasure and endorphins through his body. He had never felt so relaxed just from pleasuring himself before. He barely had time to reach for his shower towel to clean himself up before sleep quickly took him.

 

  
It wasn't until around 10pm that Dawn finally came back home. She had spent the night at Sunny's, and even though they didn't do much past kissing, they talked all night. They were best friends for like, 3 years, so there wasn't much they didn't know about each other. Talking with him though made her feel fulfilled in more ways than one.

When Dawn unlocked the door, she wasn't sure what she'd find, but she didn't expect the kitchen to be clean. Marianne was just finishing mopping the floor when she noticed Dawn.

"Hey!" The older sister stopped and set her mop down.

"Uh, hey yourself. What's all this?" Dawn gestured to the clean kitchen.

"Oh, I was bored and...well, I invited Bog over tomorrow..."

Dawn didn't know what to say! She was happy that her sister had found a friend in Bog, but...would it ever get past just friends?

"That's great, sis! I'm actually going back over to Sunny's again so you two can be alone," she said with a wink.

"Oh what! No! It's...it's not like _that_. We're just...friends." Marianne liked the sound of that. Being friends with Bog.

"Haha whatever you say, Marianne. I'm going to go grab some clothes and head back over to Sunny's," Dawn walked past the kitchen and over to the stairs. Marianne grabbed her hand quickly before she got too far.

"Dawn...did I...call you a bitch last night?"

"Uhm..." honesty was always the best way to go. "Yeah. You did."

"I'm SO, so sorry. You're the best sister anyone could ever ask for. You weren't being a bitch at all. I was. I _am_. God, I'm so stupid to drink all the time... Especially if I hurt you."

"Oh Marianne..." Dawn leaped into her sister's arms and cried. She was always sensitive and cried easily. She was never meant to be the strong one of the family, but for the past two years she felt like she was the fiber holding it together.

Their father, Dagda, was never the same after their mother died--he and Marianne hadn't spoken pleasantly for almost a year now, and the strain of that was weighing Dawn down into a puddle. Then when Marianne broke up with Roland and started drinking heavily...it was all too much for her. She was only 21! She wasn't ready to be the fiber of her family...

"Dawn, I'm sorry... Why are you crying so hard? Did I hurt your feelings that bad..." Now Marianne felt even worse!

"N-not really. I just...I really miss our family!"

That right there put some steel in Marianne's spine. She pushed Dawn so she could look in her eyes. Her honey eyes flashed with understanding and strength.

"Nothing can make our family whole again. But, we still have each other. Now, go grab some clothes and go be with Sunny. I'm sure he'll be part of our family soon enough."

That little bit about Sunny made Dawn's cheeks blaze red. It was true that she wanted Sunny, and only Sunny. The only issue was they had only been actually dating for a month! But...they had known each other for years!

"You really think so?" Dawn sniffled and wiped her tears away.

"Uh, it's pretty obvious," Marianne smiled and rolled her eyes. Dawn was always so emotional; something Marianne was not. The big difference between the two of them was Dawn was open about her feelings, while Marianne bottled everything up and pushed it down. _Way_ down.

"I like the sound of that. Thanks Marianne," Dawn hugged her sister before bouncing up the stairs to her room.

Marianne shook her head. Happy Dawn was the best Dawn to have around, and that was exactly what Marianne was going to strive for. Keeping her sister happy.


	9. Dance with me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog and Marianne hang out at her place for a while. 
> 
> Roland calls and Bog gives Marianne some advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dude, I have no idea how I'm getting these chapters up so stinking quick! I guess I have a lot to write about and say in this story ;) 
> 
> Anywho, shout out to the mentioned artists in this chapter and their amazing songs! Seriously, I recommend going on YouTube and listening to Frank sinatra or Michael Buble sing "the way you look tonight," and "save the last dance for me."
> 
> Let me know what you think! 
> 
> Enjoy Strangers~

Before heading to Marianne's, Bog stopped at the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for Korean Beef Satay and Roasted Kabocha Squash. He was over by the meat section debating over two choices of meat, when he heard sniffling. He looked over to his left and saw a little boy, about 3 years old with soft brown, curly hair, crying by the bananas. Bog looked around for whoever the child might belong to, but saw no one. He sighed and put both packages of meat in his cart and walked over to the little boy.

"Hey there. What's the matter?" Bog crouched down to at least attempt to be less intimidating to the young boy. When the boy looked up at Bog, his lip was trembling and his brown eyes were so big with fear. 

"My names Bog. What's your name?" Now, Bog was absolutely fantastic with kids. He loved kids! But sometimes they didn't always like him. He was lucky with this boy, though. 

"M-my names Ethan," Ethan stuck his thumb in his mouth and whimpered. 

"Pleased to meet you, Ethan. Do you know where you mommy is? Or your daddy?" Bog looked around again but saw no one who looked frazzled enough to be a parent of a lost child. 

"N-no!!" The boy started crying again, loudly this time. 

"Hey hey, shhh. It's alright. Is it okay if I help you find them?" Bog took a napkin out of his pocket and helped the toddler blow his nose. 

"Mmhmm." He nodded his little head. 

"Okay. I'm going to pick you up so you can see them better, okay?"

Again Ethan nodded. 

Bog picked the boy up and set him on his hip.

"Do you know where you saw them last?"

"I-I wanted a nana... then daddy was gone," tears swelled in the boys eyes. 

"Hey now, none of that. You're a brave boy, and you gotta help me find your daddy," Bog said as he wiped a tear off his face. Just for good measure, Bog grabbed a banana and peeled it for the now content child. 

Since Bog was done getting the groceries he needed, he kept hold of Ethan on his hip and pushed his cart with his right hand. He strolled over to the checkout lanes where there were many people. 

"Do you see your dad anywhere?" Bog adjusted the child so he could see around better, but he just shook his head. "Do you know your daddy's name?" That would be a _big_ help! But alas, Ethan shook his head again. 

"Do you know where you last saw your dad?"

"Ummm... Cheese?"

"Cheese? Okay, let's go see if he's by the cheese." Bog picked up the boy and headed to the other side of the store, but when he arrived at the dairy section there was no one there. He felt like it might be best to wait there since that was the last place the boy said he saw his father. 

A little longer than five minutes ticked by before Bog set the kid down, banana smeared over his face and hands.   
Bog grabbed another napkin and helped clean up Ethan, saying, "Don't worry, lad, we'll find your da--"

"ETHAN!" A man came running up to them.

"Daddy!" Ethan screamed and ran to his father. The father scooped up his little boy and planted numerous kisses on him. 

"Where were you! You scared me half to death!" He turned to Bog and said, "Thank you so much, sir. Where did you find him?"

"He was by the bananas. And it's no problem; I'm just glad he found you," Bog smiled and began to walk away, but the man stopped him. 

"Please, let me pay you," he took out his wallet, but Bog put his hands out to stop him.

"I assure you, it's fine," then he thought for a moment. He needed clientele. This was the perfect opportunity to get some! "You can repay me by coming to my shop. I work at The Color Pallet."

"Oh...well, if you insist. My wife's been saying she needs a new style. And you mister!" The father looked at his son who was nothing but innocent and said, "Don't you ever run off on me again. I love you too much to lose you."

Bog's heart gave a hard squeeze seeing this father and son. It reminded him of when he was a boy and got lost one day in Edinburgh...

He was only about 6, and wandering around the market with his dad when he saw a kite maker selling his kites at a stall. His father said no, but young Bog wanted one so he left his father's side and went back. He was so scared when he lost sight of him. He wandered the street for hours in the crowd of people, until finally the constabulary found him and brought him home. Even though his father was mad at him for leaving his side, he cried when he held him. Bog never understood why that was until--

"Ahem, you said The Color Pallet, right?" The father of the boy asked Bog before turning around. 

"Oh, uh, yeah." Bog shook his head slightly to rid it of nonsense memories. 

"We'll see you there."

 

 

Marianne was so anxious about having Bog for company. She brushed her teeth three times and made sure her outfit was cute, yet comfy. She wore Capri leggings and a long, tight fitting pink top with green leaves on it. Just as she was checking her reflection in the bathroom once more, she heard a knock on the door. She had to stop herself from bolting down the stairs least she fall.

She opened the front door and was greeted by Bog holding many grocery bags. 

"Uhh, are you planning on cooking for an army? Cuz it's just us you know." She cocked and eyebrow and put her hand on her hip.

Bog just chuckled and said, "Nah, but I know how much you eat."

"Wh-- I don't eat that much!" The petite woman crossed her arms and stared at him. 

"Ha, whatever you say," he chuckled again as he passed her and she swiped at his shoulder. He loved-- What?

"Ahem, anyway. I got stuff to make Korean beef satay. It's a fairly simple dish to make. The hardest part is letting it marinate." He set the bags on the table and began pulling the ingredients out. Marianne walked over to help. 

"So, we're gonna make the marinade first then?"

"Correct."

Over the next 15 minutes, Bog showed her how to prepare the marinade while he cut up the beef. 

"Ahem," Marianne cleared her throat as she chopped the green onions, "What kind of music do you like?" 

"Uhhhm...I have a wide taste in music. Deep Purple, E.L.O, Steve miller band, Michael Jackson, the Beatles, men at work, and Elvis. Oh! And Frank Sinatra." Bog shrugged as he listed off several of his favorites. 

"Okay, out of all of those: Frank Sinatra? Seriously?" Marianne scoffed. 

"Hey, don't you diss Franky!" Bog clapped a hand over his chest like he'd been shot. Marianne laughed at him. 

"I guess I never really cared for him. Why do you like him?" She challenged. 

"Hmph," Bog washed his hands quickly and pulled out his phone. He opened his Spotify and selected one of his favorite Sinatra songs: The Way You Look Tonight. Everything about the song made his body react. His feet would tap and his hips would sway. 

Marianne listened with a tilted head for a few seconds before her foot started tapping along to the jazzy rhythm. Bog took notice and grabbed her hand. She was surprised when he pulled her close and placed his hand on her waist. He spun her around the kitchen, sashaying his hips to the beat. Marianne's heart nearly stopped when he bent down and started singing in her ear.

" _Some day, when I'm awfully low,_  
When the world is cold,  
I will feel a glow just thinking of you  
And the way you look tonight.

_You're lovely, with your smile so warm_  
And your cheeks so soft,  
There is nothing for me but to love you,  
And the way you look tonight.

_With each word your tenderness grows,_  
Tearing my fears apart  
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,  
Touches my foolish heart.

_Yes you're lovely, never, ever change_  
Keep that breathless charm.  
Won't you please arrange it?  
'Cause I love youJust the way you look tonight.

_With each word your tenderness grows,_  
Tearing my fears apart  
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,  
Touches my foolish heart.

_Yes you're lovely, never, ever change_  
Keep that breathless charm.  
Won't you please arrange it?  
'Cause I love you  
Just the way you look tonight.  
Just the way you look tonight.  
Darling  
Just the way you look tonight."

The song ended all too soon for Marianne. She stared into Bog's eyes, getting lost in the pure blueness of them. He was smiling like a looby at her, clearly pleased with himself. She could feel his heart beating against her chest. 

"I...I can see why you..." she had quite a time forming words to speak. All she could focus on was that gorgeous mouth of his. Who knew he had such an amazing singing voice?!

"Ha! I knew you'd like him once you actually listened to a song from him!" Bog released her and made a victory fist in the air. 

"Yeah..." she looked down at the floor, not sure how to proceed from that. It seemed as if time stood still and she wasn't sure what her next step was once it started moving again. 

"You alright?" Bog asked as he put the meat in the marinade. 

"Hm? Oh yeah! It's just... Damn Bog! You can sing!" Marianne shook herself from her dazed stupor and finally found words. She leaned back slightly and put both hands on her hips, impressed with him. 

"Heh, it's not that big o' deal." His accent seemed to escape whenever he was slightly flustered. 

_Oooh, that'll be fun_.

"Okay, so!" She scooted much closer to him and leaned on the counter. "What would you like to do while these soak up all the tasty juices?"

"Ah, well, we could watch Silence of the Lambs. It's been years since I've seen it!"

"Sure! Want to stick those in the fridge while I get the DVD player hooked up?"

"Okay."

After a few minutes and a few wrong cords, Marianne finally got the player hooked up and the movie in. When she turned around, Bog was already settled on the left side of the couch, with his right arm hanging over the back of it. His long legs stretched out in front of him.  
Every fiber of her being screamed at her to jump him like an animal in heat. Oh God, he was glorious to look at. Marianne bit her lip as she eyed him from his toes to his cerulean blue eyes. 

Bog raised his eyebrows at her, seeming amused at her staring. 

"Are you gonna join me?" He asked. 

Marianne grabbed a pillow from the other end of the couch and threw it at him.

"Hey! What--"

"If your gonna take my spot on the couch, your gonna have to deal with me leaning on you, Bony Butt."

"Ack! Excuse me, I may be thin, but I am _far_ from bony. This is all muscle, girl."

"Indeed. Your top half took all the muscle so your legs have none. Eep!" She squeaked when he threw the pillow at her and tackled her onto the couch. He dug his fingers in her ribs tickling her till she screamed. 

"Okay! _Ahh_! Okay! I'm sorry! Hahah stop!" Marianne screamed and tried squirming to get away from him. Bog just laughed harder, enjoying this playfulness she brought out in him. The enjoyment didn't last long for him, though; just as he hit a rather ticklish spot, Marianne's knee jerked up and hit him square in the manhood. 

Both of them froze. Bog's eyes rolled in the back of his head as he grabbed his crotch for dear life. 

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! Are you okay! I didn't mean--" 

Bog out a finger to her lips, shushing her. 

"Just...give me a minute," he said through gritted teeth and stood. He walked slowly across the hall into the kitchen while Marianne sat on the floor with her head in her hands. 

"Okay, let's start this movie, shall we?" He came back and sat down in the same spot as before, shifting the couch. Marianne looked up at him and noticed something strange between his legs. 

"Peas?"

"You really did a number on me, tough girl."

She smirked, "Crotch peas."

"What?" 

"Crotch peas!" Marianne shrieked with glee, falling onto the floor laughing.

"Heh, okay." Bog couldn't help laughing himself. After about a minute when Marianne was still laughing, he took the peas and threw them at her.

"Nooo! Get your crotch peas off me!"

"Never!" Bog snatched the bag again and pressed them against the exposed part of her neck. She screamed loudly.

"Woah!" He chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. It had been far too long since he'd had this much fun. 

"Bog you mean thing!" Marianne yelled and pounced on him, peas forgotten on the floor. 

Bog lay stretched completely out on the couch with his right foot on the floor. Marianne was seated on top of him with her hands pinning down his broad, _broad_ shoulders...

Both of them were panting and staring at each other, waiting for the other to make the next move. 

"Bog, I..." The only thing Marianne wanted to do was kiss him. To feel his lips pressed against hers... This would have been the perfect opportunity to do just that...if her phone didn't go off at that moment. 

She groaned and thumped her head against Bog's chest. Who dared disturb her fun afternoon with--

"It's my ex..." she said when she finally looked at her phone. 

"Don't answer it." Bog sat up easily, the small weight of Marianne was barely pressing on him anyway. 

"I...I have to," she whispered then hit accept call. 

"Buttercup!" The obnoxious voice trilled from the other end of the phone. Marianne's stomach turned to lead. 

"What do you want, Roland?" She spit the words out. 

"Woah, easy there darlin'. I just wanted to check up on ya. See how my little buttercup was doin'."

"I'm not your anything! And I certainly am _not_ a booty call!" She slammed the end button and threw her phone on the chair across the room. Bog watched her as her hands started shaking. Without really thinking, he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his 1 year coin and grabbed her hand. The second he laced his fingers with hers, her shaking stopped. 

Marianne turned to face him and asked, "Why? Why does he do this to me? Does he have a sixth sense that alerts him whenever I'm happy?" Cursed tears started welling up in her eyes. "Great, now I'm crying." She threw her hands up in defeat. 

"You'll be okay, tough girl. Don't let him see that he gets to you."

"Yeah? And how am I supposed to do that?" She snapped. How could Bog possibly understand how she felt? What Roland did to her...

Seeming unfazed by her tone, Bog brought her hand to his mouth and slowly--painfully slow--kissed each of her knuckles. Each time his lips touched her skin, a bit of anger melted away, leaving her feeling raw. 

"That's...not fair," she said, flicking her eyes toward him.

"Oh?" This time he reached up to cup her face with his other hand. "You tell him your happy, and that he can't touch you, because you are soaring."

As he stood and pulled his hand away from her face, he released his other hand from hers, leaving his coin in her hand. He felt it was only right that he give her a minute to think. 

He walked into the kitchen to start preparing the squash for the side dish when he heard Marianne's phone ring again. This time instead of hearing defeat in her voice, there was steel. 

"Roland, I'm happy with my life. You were a giant mistake that I never should have done. You have no control over me or what I do anymore, so fuck off. Leave me alone and go find another plaything to entertain your time with!"

Marianne felt strange. Like something opened up in her chest, making room for something new. She looked down at the worn coin in her hand and smiled. She had more baggage than anyone should have to deal with, but...but she needed to be free. She looked at Bog standing in her kitchen dissecting a giant squash and she knew. She _knew_ that that was why she was happy. Not because he did things for her, but because he was genuine about how he felt, and honest about everything. 

God, if that wasn't sexy, then she didn't know what was.

 

  
Later that evening, after dinner was eaten and dishes were done, Marianne and Bog finally sat down and got to watch their movie. Bog lay on the couch with his arm above his head and the other draped lightly over Marianne, who was laying on his chest between his legs. Neither of them wanted to admit how attracted they were to the other. It was almost like a competition for them to see who could go the longest without saying anything. But...laying like this was nice. 

The credits started rolling and Marianne rolled a bit to look Bog in the face. 

"Bog?" She whispered, sounding rather sleepy. 

"Yes?" He ran his long fingers through her hair.

"Is this comfortable for you?" 

"What do you mean?"

What she wanted to ask was if this situation--what they were doing--if it was okay. More specifically, if _he_ was okay with it. Marianne was more than fine with how they were. She needed this contact because she never got it with Roland. No, that wasn't quite right. She _wanted_ this contact with _him_ specifically. 

"Oh...I mean; I'm not squishing you am I?" She mumbled, turning her head back to how it was. 

"Hah, hardly," Bog let out a breath of a laugh. He was extremely comfortable in this position. It surprised him how comfortable he was with Marianne as well. 

"Do you want to watch another movie?" He asked, tracing the little leaves on her shirt. When she didn't respond, he realized she had fallen asleep. He smiled at her, the lines around his eyes softening. 

For some reason, another of his favorite songs popped into his head. Softly he sang to her, " _Oh I know that the musics fine_  
Like sparklin' wine, go and have your fun  
Laugh and sing, but while we're apart  
Don't give your heart to anyone

_But don't forget who's takin' you home_  
And in whose arms you're gonna be  
So darlin' save the last dance for me

_Baby don't you know I love you so_  
Can't you feel it when we touch  
I will never, never let you go  
I love you oh so much..."

And then it dawned on him. Bog was starting to fall hard and fast for this woman. But...it was impossible! They'd only known each other for a month now and...and... And now she was the most important person to him.


	10. Best friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A person from Bog's past comes to the salon for a cut. Marianne gets a bit jealous and her insecurities aren't very nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Chapter 10!! Thanks for sticking with me on this story for so long! All your kudos and comments help me to be a better writer~
> 
> As always, let me know what you think!
> 
> Enjoy Strangers~~

Time flew by at the Color Pallet. It was already Thursday in the second week of October, and the Stylists were getting ready for a hair class the upcoming weekend. Sunny was going to come with so the four of them could split the cost of the hotel 4 ways. That made Dawn really happy. They tried booking a room with 2 beds and a pull out couch. (Honestly, Marianne wouldn't mind if they just got 2 beds...)

Bog and Marianne had been spending every free moment they had together. They mostly hung out at her house, but occasionally they'd go have dinner or see a movie. There were several nights when Bog was just too dang tired to drive the hour back to his moms, so Marianne offered him the guest bedroom whenever he wanted to stay the night. Of course, he hardly ever slept in it, because they'd often fall asleep on the couch together.

Now, work was a-whole-nother story. They tried to be on their best behavior, but it was hard for either of them to not be in the same 5 feet of each other. They spent so much time together, she was afraid that Bog would get sick of her. She insisted that he take Wednesday's off, but he'd show up anyway. It was always fun when Plum was at the shop as well.

For the work schedule, Marianne tried to schedule Plum only on Thursdays so she didn't work more than 8 hours a week (at her own request.) Plum was a small woman standing at 4 feet 9 inches. She had a slim build and very feminine features with greying blonde hair and blue eyes. Her specialty at the Salon was Color. Every Thursday she was completely booked up with requests. And today was no different.

It was about 3:30pm, an hour and a half before closing time, when Marianne finished her latest client.

"Hey Plum, I'm going to run across the street to Sunny's. Want anything?" She went into the till to collect some of her tips.

"Oh sure! Get me anything. I'm not picky!" Plum trilled and continued chatting to her client while finishing the foils. They were talking about how many foils Plum was using for highlites and lowlites, and that if aliens were real she would definitely not have to worry about them reading her mind.

Marianne smiled to herself, amused. Bog had just taken a client back to his station, so she knew better than to bother him. She'd get him a coffee anyway. Black. Like always.

When Marianne left the salon, Plum had just finished putting the last foil in her clients hair.

"I'll be right back, Denise." She flitted over to her nephew. "Sooo, how are things, Boggy?"

"Uhh, just fine. Why do you ask?" He glanced at her quickly then returned to his cut.

"Oh, well, it's just Marianne asked me if I wanted anything, but not you... Did you two get in a fight?"

"Not at all. My coffee order is pretty simple."

"Oh, okay then," the older woman sat in Marianne's chair and crossed her legs, staring at her nephew. There was something about him lately that wasn't there the last time she saw him.

"Are you going to the cities this weekend for the hair class?" She inquired, narrowing her eyes to determine what had changed.

"Uh, yeah..."

"Your rather nosy, aren't you lady?" Bog's client, a middle aged man, piped up.

"Well he's my nephew! I have to be nosy to know what's happening in this sweeties life!" She flashed a dashing smile but decided to leave Bog alone. For now.

Bog groaned, slightly embarrassed.

Marianne returned from Sunny's carrying a drink holder with everyone's beverages. Bog was at the desk ringing his client up.

"I have returned with caffeine!" She singsonged and placed them all on the counter.

"Ah, thank you, tough girl," Bog smiled and grabbed his. The client paid and left rather quickly, but obviously pleased with the cut.

"Of course," she returned his smile and looked up just in time to see a small family walk through the small parking lot to the doors. They had a little boy with a mass of curly brown hair. "Oh my gosh, that's the cutest little boy I've ever seen!" Marianne's heart melted.

"Hey! That's that little boy who was lost in the grocery store a few weeks ago!" Bog sipped his coffee and watched as the father scooped him up and laughed. Then the mother of the boy came into view.

"I wonder who's getting the cut."

Bog began to feel sick.

"I call dibs on the boy!" She looked over at Bog. "Hey, are you alright?"

He looked positively green! He broke out into a sweat and was shaking. He couldn't hear anything but the rush of blood in his ears. Just as the family reached the door he found his legs and dashed to the restroom.

"Bog, what--?" Marianne turned back around to the family that walked in. "Hello! Welcome to the Color Pallet! I'm Marianne! Who's getting cuts today?"  
The mother of the boy was gorgeous.

Like, model gorgeous. She had long blonde hair and light teal colored eyes, and full luscious lips. She had super long legs that _belonged_ on the runway. Marianne instantly felt like a troll compared to her.

"I am, actually. My hair grows like a weed since I'm pregnant," she ran a hand over her slight baby bump. Her voice sounded sweeter than honey. Now Marianne felt like she sounded like a gravel truck...

"Aw! How far along are you?" Despite feeling like garbage in comparison to the model lady, Marianne still had to be polite.

"30 weeks. We're having a girl this time." The woman beamed.

"Congratulations! Your little boy is the cutest thing I've ever seen by the way."

"Thank you, dear."

"Alright, can I have your name please?"

"It's Kiah. K-I-A-H."

Marianne wrote down the woman's name and took her back to her chair. It was her turn to have a client, but she couldn't understand where Bog went off to in such a hurry. She hoped he was alright...

After explaining that she wanted several inches off with lots of layers, Kiah said, "My husband told me that a man who works here found our Ethan when he got lost. We're here visiting from California, so you can imagine how Jon felt! He's my husband. Anyway, I was surprised to hear that the man didn't want any payment. He just wanted to have us come in for haircuts!" She laughed, sounding like the purest of bird song.

"Haha, yeah, that definitely sounds like Bog." Marianne didn't miss the way Kiah's back shot up straight.

"B-Bog? As in _Allen_ "Bog" King?" 

"Uhm...yes? You know him?" Of course a man like Bog would know a gorgeous woman like this...

"Yes! He used to babysit--" she stopped, getting a lost and sad look on her face. A look that didn't belong on her fair visage. "Ahem, we were quite close once."

"Oh."

Marianne continued the haircut in silence. 

"I hope you don't think of me as rude for not carrying on a conversation," Kiah said, looking at Marianne in the mirror.

"Huh, oh no. Not at all!" She had to smile and make sure her face didn't betray her slightly fractured heart.

"Oh good! It's just...it's been _years_ since I've seen him." She ran her hands down her sweater and whispered to herself, "I wonder how's he's been..."

Irritation crept up Marianne's spine. She wanted to say "well you'd know if you talked to him!" But she had no idea what happened between them. This woman was _too_ pretty. Too _perfect_. Marianne was glad she was almost done with the cut...

"There! What do you think?" She slipped off the cape and was quite pleased with her cut. The layers added such bounce and life to Kiah's hair, while the face framing made her beautiful eyes stand out.

"Oh I love it!" She looked over at her husband and son who came over.

"You are as beautiful as ever, Kiah," Jon bent down to kiss her.

"You so pretty mama!" Ethan announced proudly. Even Marianne had to smile that that.

"Thanks baby," Kiah stood up from the chair and waddled her way to the counter to pay. She paid for the cut and threw down an extra $20. "That's for you."

"Oh gosh! Thank you!"

"It's nothing. I pay twice as much for a haircut in Cali. Well, Marianne, if you see Allen, er _Bog_ , can you tell him...uhm... N-never mind," she swished her hand in front of her, dismissing the conversation.

"Uhh, okay. Have a great day!" Now Marianne was totally curious. What happened between these two?

"Ah, isn't she just lovely?" Plum snuck up behind Marianne, startling her a bit.

"Eep! You know her?"

"My dear, I know just about everyone in this town. But yes, I know Kiah. She used to live her, but moved away when she met her husband. She and Bog used to be very close," Plum made her fingers cross emphasizing the " _close_."

"Oh." Was all Marianne could manage.

"But don't worry your pretty little self, Marianne. Bog only has eyes for you," the older stylist said with a wink.

"Pfft. _Please_! Did you see how beautiful she was? I'm like a troll doll compared to her."

"You stop that right now, young lady. Why don't you just go ask him about her? I think I saw him head to the little boys room."

Marianne was all concern as she knocked on the door.

"Bog?"

She heard the muffled sound of him groaning and then the toilet flush shortly after. The lock clicked and he opened the door. He still looked ill, but better than he did before.

"Ugh, hi..." he croaked. His face was pale.

"Hey, are you alright?" Marianne brought a hand up to stroke his cheek but he flinched away from her. She felt her heart lurch. What if seeing that gorgeous woman he used to be " _close_ " with made him not want to be friends anymore? Panic settled its cold grasp in her chest, waiting to feed on her insecurities.

"I...threw up," he leaned against the door and ran his hand down his face. His legs felt like jelly and his skin was cold and clammy, like he was in shock or his blood sugar was low.

"Bog, honey, what did she do to you?" Marianne reached up out of instinct to cup his cheek, trying to soothe him. 

"Please. I don't...I don't want to talk about it." He relented and leaned into her touch.

She pursed her lips tightly. What could have happened in his past that made her amazing and strong Bog act this way? She knew pressing the issue would be a bad idea, so she asked him, "Did you still want to come over after work tonight?"

"I'd love to, but I need to pack for this weekend."

Bog absolutely hated feeling like some weakling _thing_ that would freak out whenever he thought about Kiah. It wasn't really _her_ , but the thought of her d-- He refused to think of _her_ right now. Just seeing Kiah was bad enough.

"Marianne," he tilted his head to look into her eyes, "I'm sorry you--"

"Shh. Go into my office. There's a bottle of Gatorade in my backpack. Drink it. Eh--" she put her finger to his mouth to shush him, "I don't want to hear any excuses. Go."

He smiled under her touch, and obeyed. He took care of her when she was sick, and now she's returning the favor. Albeit different situations, and in her own way. That thought, that she would take care of him, seemed to calm his shakiness--well, that and the electrolytes from the Gatorade.

Bog sat in the recliner in Marianne's office reflecting. He knew that he shouldn't be affected by Kiah like this anymore, and, yeah, seeing her trudged up some bad memories, but what if... Marianne meeting her made _her_ feel bad? That was something he couldn't live with. He needed to tell her. He just needed to work up the courage first.

 

 

Marianne laid on Dawn's bed while she packed. The older more " _responsible_ " sister ranted about the model lady while Dawn folded some delicate underclothes. 

"--looked like a fricken model! How can I _compete_ with that?"

Dawn just nodded and continued packing.

"I mean, look at me! How could I be so _stupid_ to think that Bog would ever find me attractive when he used to date girls like _her_?" This would be the only time that she admitted out loud that she wanted Bog to like her as more than a friend.

"You _don't_ _know_ if they dated. It's pretty obvious that Bog--"

"Oh-ho! But _I_ never made him sick just by looking at me! Or, maybe I have but in other ways..." she reached into her pocket and pulled out the AA coin. She ran her thumb over the words hoping to be soothed by them.

Dawn grabbed a pillow and thumped Marianne on the head.

"Ow! Hey!" She bolted upright and glared at the blonde.

"Enough Marianne! You may be a prickly pear sometimes, but Bog really likes you. Now stop obsessing!" Dawn shoved her sister off her bed and out the door, "Go and pack some clothes! And don't forget your swim suit."

"But I--" she didn't get to finish her rant because her sister slammed the door and locked it.

 

 

The next day at work was a loooong one. Especially for Marianne. She had spent the entire night over thinking about what might have been between Bog and Kiah. She hardly looked at him the next day, let alone talked to him! It was a good thing that earlier in the week she asked if his mother would be willing to stop by on Saturday and feed Imp. By the time 5 o'clock rolled around, Marianne was so irritated and frustrated that she was even snapping at Dawn. Of course, Dawn would just glare at her, knowing what was bothering her.

Bog seemed to be stewing over something all day as well, and that frightened Marianne the most. She was certain he wanted to either quit working for her or stop being friends. Which would lead to him quitting.

She sighed, gathering the paperwork she needed for the weekend, when someone knocked on the office door.

"Come in," she said curtly, shoving the papers in a bag.

"Hey, can we talk?" Bog closed the door behind him, feeling a bit sheepish.

"Yes," Marianne let a bit of her irritation slide into the word making the "s" hiss.  
Bog frowned and walked over to her. He grabbed her shoulders and made her face him.

"Please tell me what's wrong. I don't like when your mad at me," He gently tilted her chin up so she would meet his eyes. The walls Marianne worked so hard to put up around her heart shattered in an instant seeing the way he was looking at her.

She couldn't stand it anymore. She flung her arms around him and buried her face in his chest.

"That stupid, fucking pretty girl is what's wrong," She grumbled. Oh, how she loved feeling his heartbeat against her cheek...

"What are you talking about?" Bog hugged her back fiercely and ran a hand through her hair.

"My _God_ , Bog! She's so fucking gorgeous! Like, seriously, how--?"

"And again, _what_ are you talking about?" Bog's eyebrows came together with his frown.

"Kiah, Bog! The woman is from a storybook, I swear!" She flopped her head against his chest, feeling very much like the troll she pictured herself to be.

"So, from what I understand, you _aren't_ mad at me?" He had to confirm this.

"What? No! I just--" she took a deep breath and looked into his concerned eyes. He truly had no idea what she was getting at. Did she have to spell it out for him?

"How do you expect me to compete with a woman like _her_...?" She finally whispered, a blazing red blush forming on her cheeks.

Bog's frown turned into more of a scowl. Now he was mildly irritated at her. How could she even think that? If he didn't know any better, he might say that Marianne was _actually_ jealous of Kiah. As flattering as that hypothetical thought may be, it was pure nonsense. There wasn't much more to Kiah than her looks, if he was being honest with himself.

"Compete? Marianne, there's _nothing_ to compete _with_! You are _you_! I _L_ \--" he had to stop himself from completing that next sentence. He still wanted a job after all.  
Both of them sighed, letting their pent up frustration leak out together.

"Do you want to elaborate as to _why_ you'd even think you'd have to " _compete_ " with her?" Bog cupped her face and stared tenderly in her beautiful honey eyes.

Another wall came crashing down around her heart.

"Well, first off, the woman is drop dead gorgeous and I'm...well me."

A spark of anger flared up in Bog's chest. 

" _What_? Do you have any idea how amazing you are?" He raised his voice with irritation. How could she not see how beautiful she was?

"And, I thought you..." she looked down and mumbled into his ribs.

"You thought I what, Marianne?" There was an authoritative tone to his voice that sent chills down her spine.

"Well...it sounds stupid now... I thought you wouldn't want to be friends anymore. And I got mad for thinking that, because I don't want it to be true," she looked up at him with big eyes, hoping she didn't sound dumb.

"Whatever possessed you to think such a foolish thing?" His voice softened, and he reached up to cup her cheek.

"I honestly don't know. I...I think a lot has to do with Roland..." Marianne shook her head and gave Bog a small smile. "I need your friendship, Bog... You're my best friend..."

The two of them stared at each other, neither wanting to break whatever just shifted in the room. Bog could feel Marianne's heartbeat in his middle, and he was certain she could hear his.

All he could think to do was bend down slowly and say in her ear, "My _silly_ , tough girl. I would _never_ let our friendship be compromised from something from my past. _You_ are _my_ best friend." He turned his head just a bit more and lightly pressed his lips to her cheek.

Marianne just about fainted! Did he seriously just _kiss_ her cheek? What the hell!?

"I should, uhh..." Bog cleared his throat and released her from his arms. He took a step back and grabbed for the door for the handle. "I should see if Dawn needs help cleaning."

"Y-yeah..." Marianne brought her hand up to her cheek to keep the feeling of his lips a bit longer.

This was going to be an extremely long weekend. 


	11. Hair class part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stylists and Sunny go down to the cities for the weekend for hair classes and fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title makes it sound like this will be a boring chapter, but it certainly isn't!!
> 
> I don't want to say too much about it, but let me know what you think!
> 
> Enjoy Strangers~~

The drive down to Minneapolis was long and boring. Marianne and Dawn reserved a room months ago when they decided they wanted to go. They didn't really plan on having Bog or Sunny come with, but they agreed to split the cost, making the trip a bit cheaper for all of them.

After closing the salon at 6, Bog transferred his belongings from his truck to Marianne's civic. Her car got the best mileage out of all of theirs, even if there wasn't much leg room for Bog. He fell asleep early on in the three hour drive; Sunny and Dawn were watching a movie on his tablet, but seemed to have fallen asleep as well.

Marianne yawned. They were about 30 minutes from the Cities, but she needed to stretch her legs. She got off on the next exit ramp on I35 to hit the nearest gas station. As she pulled in, she decided to get gas as well, even though she was at a half tank.

Watching the numbers slowly tick higher, Marianne let her mind wander. She thought about what to expect from the up coming classes. There were three sections: color, clipper cutting, and styling. She had a feeling that Bog wouldn't go anywhere near _two_ of those classes willingly. She looked forward to learning new tricks and tips for coloring.

Just as the pump made the cha-chunk sound, she heard her car door open. Bog stepped out and stretched, his sweater lifted just a couple inches up exposing a _very_ lean stomach with a fuzzy treasure trail. Marianne's mouth actually watered.

He rubbed his palm over an eye and yawned, asking, "Hey, tough girl. Are we almost there?"

"Hm? Oh, yup! I just wanted to get gas," she put the pump back in the holder. "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty good. I have a kink in my neck, though," as if to emphasize that point he jerked his jaw to the side, making several joints pop.

"I could give you a neck rub when we get to the hotel," Marianne suggested without thinking.

"Eh, if you want to." He looked at the gas meter and asked, "Do you want me to pay?"

"For the neck rub?"

"For the gas," Bog chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I have to use the facilities, so I can just pay."

"Oh! Haha sure!" Marianne laughed at herself. "And, since you're awake, you get to keep me awake till we get to the hotel," she said and cocked her hip.

"Sounds fair." As he walked past her to go inside, he let his fingers lightly trail the length of her arm. Every hair on her body stood on end.

 _God...fuck! Will I ever_ not _get turned on by him!?_ Marianne mentally screamed at herself.

Several minutes later and they were on the road again. Bog reached across the center console and touched the back of her hand letting her silently know he wanted to hold it.

"So, Marianne, do you know how to get there?" He ran his thumb on the back of her hand, loving when he saw goosebumps raise on her arms. She was wearing a light blue sweater with the sleeves pushed up.

"I _do_ know, Mr. King," She flashed her eyes at him, not really wanting to take her eyes off the road. As much as she loved visiting the Twin Cities, she hated driving in them. One wrong turn and she'd have to spend an extra 15 minutes getting back on track.

"Hm..." he moved his fingers up the back of her wrist, "It wouldn't happen to be off this exit, would it?" He continued up her arm.

"Bog, ya ass! Don't do that while I'm driving!" She yelled and smacked his hand away. The fiend just laughed. "You made me miss my exit!"

"Rerouting directions," the gps announced.

"Shut the fuck up, Siri!" Marianne was pissed. Not only was she driving in a strange city in the dark, but Bog distracting her certainly didn't help. Neither did her more _physical_ needs...

"Hey, what's going on?" Sunny asked groggily from the back seat.

"Nothing, Sunny. Marianne's just tired," Bog said innocently and took a sip from his water bottle.

The GPS instructed them to get off on the next exit to get to the hotel.

"Hey, so what's the agenda like for tomorrow again?" Sunny took out his phone to check his texts. "I made plans with my cousin so I'll have something to do while you guys are busy."

"Uhh, the first class starts at 8 and goes till 11:30," Marianne began, "It's the color class, that's why it's so long. You should be able to join us for lunch. Hey! Bring your cousin with!"

"That's a great idea! I'll see if there's any place he recommends." Sunny quickly texted him to ask.

"Sweet. Let us know. Okay, then the clipper class starts at 1 and ends at 2:30. There's a half hour break and then the hairstyling class starts at 3. It ends at 5, so that only leaves an hour for dinner."

"Why only an hour?" Bog raised his eyebrows at her. He expected to be done with the classes at 5 and then go exploring around town.

"Didn't I tell you?" Marianne said sweetly. "There's a runway show of all the models and contestants. It's amazing!"

"Really? I didn't think you'd be into something like that."

"Bog, it's my _job_! Well, that and I love seeing all the different styles they created during the day."

"Pare said he and Liz would love to join us all for lunch. They'd have to find a babysitter for the kids though," Sunny alerted the two awake stylists. He'd let Dawn know tomorrow.

After another 10 minutes the four of them finally arrived at the hotel. Marianne wanted to cry she was so tired. As soon as they checked in and got up to their room, she ran over to the second bed and flopped down face first. Sunny practically did the same thing, except he changed into sleep clothes first. Dawn wanted to shower before going to bed, so she left her bags on the floor and just grabbed clean pajamas.

Bog walked around to the bed Marianne was laying on and rubbed her back. She made a happy sound in response.

"So, am I sleeping on that wee couch?" He asked, running his fingers through her hair.

"Mmph..." Marianne mumbled. She wanted so desperately to sleep with him, but wasn't sure how he'd feel about it. They did sleep together on the couch at her house pretty much every night, but this was a bit different. Sharing a bed seemed much more...intimate.

Bog sighed, seeing that Marianne was too tired to talk or make sense of things reasonably. He stood and went over to his bag that had his extra clothes. He pulled out some shorts and a sleeveless top. He figured that if he was still sharing a room with others that he would sleep in the least clothes possible and still be decent. Since Dawn was occupying the bathroom, and Sunny was asleep, and Marianne was on her merry way to sleepy town, he decided it didn't matter if he changed in the room. With his back to them, he started unbuttoning his pants.

The sound of a zipper stirred Marianne enough to look up to see Bog shimmy out of his jeans. She had to bite her tongue to keep from making an inappropriate noise. She continued to watch as he pulled up a pair of shorts over his gloriously long, toned legs. Then he pulled off his shirt.

She knew he had broad shoulders and was well muscled, but to see it in the flesh! Hot damn! She didn't realize his tattoos continued up and around his back and connected between his shoulder blades in an elegant Celtic knot. They also came down his pectorals and faded nicely. He turned around slightly, lifting his arms to put his shirt on, displaying amazingly ripped abs and a wonderful chest full of hair, leading down to a very _naughty_ place. Marianne knew she was salivating like a starved dog right about now. It took all her willpower not to dash off the bed and run her fingers through his chest hair.

He certainly wasn't making things any easier on her! Damn. She _really_ needed to invest in a good vibrator.

Bog interrupted her daydreams when he laid down on the bed on his back. He turned his head to look at her.

"Hey, you awake?" He whispered, placing his hand on her head.

"Mmhmm."

"Are you going to change into pajamas and get under the covers? You really need to sleep."

"Mmhmm..." with that she pushed herself up and fumbled in her clothes bag. There were no pajamas. "Damnit..."

"What's wrong?"

"I packed shorts, but not sleep tops..." she groaned, craning her head back.

"Do you want to borrow one of mine? It'd be really big on you, but..." Bog offered. The thought of her sleeping in his clothes made blood start to creep in his manhood.

"Would you mind?" Marianne was too tired to care. She had always wanted to try on his clothes just to see how big they'd be on her.

"Not at all." He rolled slightly off the bed to grab the shirt he wore. It was a well-loved baggy tee-shirt that once had a band logo on it. She stared wide eyed, not thinking it would be that baggy on her.

"Uhm...can you...?" She looked at Bog, trying to convey her sleep deprived thoughts to him. He caught on and threw his arm over his face. Even though he couldn't see, the sound of her unbuttoning her jeans then the rough fabric sliding off her creamy skin; the sound of her soft sigh of relief as she unhooked her bra and slipped on his shirt, all sent blood flowing fast to his groin. He crossed his legs in irritation.

"Uhm, Bog?" Marianne climbed back on the bed and knelt next to him. He peeked out from under his arm. "Why don't you sleep in the bed."

"But where would you sleep?" His brows furrowed, casting dark circles under his eyes. Even though he got to sleep in the car, he still looked exhausted.

"With...with you." Seeing the startled look on his face she babbled on, "It's just, well, I don't want to be a jerk and make you sleep on the couch. And we've slept on the couch at my house dozens of times. So, really what's the difference?"

Bog had to process this. She wanted to sleep with him. In the same bed. Not accidentally-on-purpose sleep, but purposely sleep-sleep. His brain was still functioning as far as he knew, so this couldn't be a hallucination. There were other areas of his body that were functioning a little _too_ well that made him concerned...

"Ah, I, well... If-if you're sure..." he rolled off the bed, trying to hide his engorged self, pulled back the blankets and quickly got under them. He pulled one leg up so his issue wasn't so obvious.

Marianne chuckled. "Oh, that anxious to get in bed with me, are you?"

His erection throbbed at her tone. Bog groaned internally. Now was _not_ the time for her to make these jokes!

"C'mon, tough girl. Let me show you some things I learned while in Scotland." He didn't mean to, but he totally gave her a smoldering come-hither look. His cerulean eyes took on a dark hue as he watched the hair raise on her arms and a blazing blush form on her cheeks. He tried not to look at her breasts, but he did. Her nipples shown though the thin material.

 _God, kill me now_... He thought when his member twitched. Damn thing wouldn't go down without a fight, so to speak.

"B-Bog, you dirty man!" Marianne crawled on her hands and knees over to him with her own smoldering look. His shirt was so big on her that it hung loose enough for him to see down the front of it. "I'm sure you have _lots_ to teach me."

Okay, that's just not fair! His manhood was actually starting to hurt he was so turned on! Flashes of the last time he pleasured himself flowed through his mind. Marianne gasping for air as she came; him suckling on her breasts; her stroking him--

"Im off to sleep now... What time are you getting up, Marianne?" Dawn had come out of the bathroom and was now ready for bed. Sunny was totally passed out. No one cared that he only slept in shorts anyway.

Both Bog and Marianne blushed like two children caught doing something bad.

"Uhh, I-I'm not sure. Like 6:30?" Her core throbbed, making thinking rather difficult. She knew her panties were thoroughly soaked. God! Why did Bog have to be so damn _sexy_?

"Sounds good," The younger sister yawned loudly and crawled into bed with her love. "Good night you guys..." About 30 seconds later they heard her sleep snores.

"Heh," Bog chuckled, a mix of relieved and amused.

"What's funny?" Marianne shook herself of her lust-filled cloud and climbed under the covers. She got a little sad when he lifted his other leg.

"You and Dawn both do that. The second your head hits the pillow. Bam! Out like a light."

"Ha, yeah. I guess we do do that," Marianne said through a loud yawn. She adjusted the blankets and scooted down so she'd be snuggled in like a bunny in its den. Bog smiled at her.

He could not deny anymore that he found her _extremely_ attractive, not when his erection still refused to leave...

"Bog..." came a soft mumble from Marianne.

"Yes, love?"

"Can I cuddle you?"

"Uh, s-sure..." Bog flicked the light switch off before adjusting himself on the pillows. He quickly reached into his shorts to accommodate things as well just in case she decided to throw her leg over his... She tucked herself under his arm and snuggled as close as she could get, including throwing her leg over him. He had to stifle a groan when she barely brushed him.

"I...mmph...mu..." Marianne mumbled before falling asleep.

" _What_? Marianne?" Bog's heart leapt to his throat. Did she just mumble what he thinks she did? That thought was soon torn away from him. In her sleep, her arm loosened around his body and came to rest mere inches from the band of his shorts.

 _Oh Fuck me_!

It was gonna be a long night.

 

 

The Color class seemed to drag on for Bog. He didn't care about what techniques were best for balayage or how to get unwanted tones out of chemically lightened hair. Marianne on the other hand was enthralled. She scrawled notes on nearly everything the instructor said, and made sketches of the techniques. Bog couldn't help watching her out of the corner of his eye. When she caught him staring at her, she smiled and continued with her notes.

When the class finally ended, Bog was all too eager to leave the room. Last night he woke up a few times. Once when he forgot he was sharing a bed and had no blankets, and a couple hours later when he felt arms around him. That was probably his favorite thing about sleeping with Marianne. She actually cuddled back.

"Hey, why'd you take off so quickly?" Marianne caught up to Bog and grabbed his arm.

"My legs were getting stiff. I really don't like sitting for long periods of time," he said and ran his hands through his shaggy hair.

Marianne bit her lip. All she could imagine was his bare chest and the way his tattoos made his body look. And holy shit! The way they _flirted_ last night? What was that even about? Not that she minded at all, but it certainly didn't make it any easier to be near him...

Bog noticed her watching him and smirked a crooked smile, "See anything you like?"

"Excuse me, sir?"

Both Bog and Marianne looked to see a man standing nearby with a grey suit and a clipboard. He had big glasses with wire trim, and a petite nose with a magnificent mustache. He was wearing a badge that read "Senior Judge: Matthews."

"Uh, yes?" Bog said with apprehension.

"We're looking for volunteers for our clipper cutting class this afternoon. We were hoping you'd be a willing participant," Matthews tapped his pen on the clipboard waiting for Bog to say yes or no.

"Well, I uh--"

"Do _it_!!" Marianne clung to Bog's arm in excitement. She had always wanted to be randomly selected for the competition, but was always passed up. The next best thing be would to have one of her employees as a model!

"Uhm, I..." Bog looked down at the hopefulness in Marianne's shining eyes. Any thought of "no" went speeding out of his mind. "S-sure?"

"Oh splendid! The class starts at 1 o'clock, so you'll need to be there by 12:30 to meet with your stylist. Here's a list of the details," the judge handed Bog a form and then walked away to get more models.

"What did I just do?" Bog muttered as he looked over the sheet.

"Bog this is amazing!" Marianne was so proud.

"Says you. I happen to actually like my hair..."

"I do too, but you get to be a model!"

" _And_?" He looked at her like she was nuts.

"That means you'll get to walk the runway with the rest of the male models!"

The realization suddenly hit him. He was going to let a complete stranger cut his hair and then strut around like a peacock on display for some judges?

"Why was this not mentioned?" A touch of anger colored Bog's cheeks. He didn't mind doing the cut, but he certainly wasn't about to walk down some runway.

"You...your mad. Why are you mad?" Marianne questioned with a hand on her hip. The rest of the attendants for the class had filed out of the room, including Dawn who skipped happily over to them.

"Hey! You guys ready to head to lunch? Pare and Lizzie are meeting us...here," the bubbly blonde looked between her sister and her annoyed coworker. There definitely was some tension between the two. "Uh, you guys okay?"

"Bog's gonna be a model for the clipper class today and he's mad about it," Marianne said tartly. If he was gonna be a sour puss, then so was she.

"Ohmygosh! That's awesome, Boggy!!" Dawn squealed and hugged him. He just rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Whatever. I'm going to go back to the room and find something more decent to wear." With that he strode off towards the room.

"Whats his problem?" Dawn frowned. She hated when people were upset or crabby. As far as she knew, Bog had no reason to be upset.

"I...I actually don't know," Marianne looked down, shamefaced. He didn't want to do it and she made him. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Wait! What about lunch?"

"I'll just get room service or something. Go have fun with Sunny." Then Marianne took off after Bog at a trot to catch up to him, her heavy shoulder bag bounced up and down against her back.

 

 

When Marianne finally got up to the room, Bog was rummaging through his bag of clothes he packed. She shut the door and walked over to him and sat on the bed.

"I'm sorry I made you do it..."

He snorted, "You didn't really _make_ me."

"Then...what's the matter?" She reached for his hand, noticing that the second she touched him he calmed instantly.

"I just... I hate being the center of attention," he sighed, flopping down next to her. He lay on his back and threw his arm over his face. The bed shifted as Marianne laid down too, placing her head on his chest. He was currently wearing a pale blue button down with dark skinny jeans. The top three buttons were undone, exposing just enough chest hair to be sexy. Marianne couldn't help it. She moved her hand slowly up his chest and rested her hand on the fourth button. She was silent as she undid it.

Bog felt the release of another button on his shirt and lifted his arm enough to watch Marianne as she stroked her fingers ever so gently over the hair.

"Marianne..." he sighed and placed his hand on hers. She squeaked and tried to pull away.

"I'm sorry! I-I just--" she started babbling, something Bog noticed she did when she was flustered.

"It's fine." He gave her hand another squeeze before letting his own slide gently off to rest on his stomach.

Taking that as a sign that he really did _not_ mind, she settled back down and traced the soft hairs on his chest. The rhythmic beating of his heart lulled her into a almost wakeful nap. She was highly aware that he was making little circle patterns with his fingers on her back.

"Is this alright?" She whispered as she undid another button. Her heart was beating harder than it had since the night before.

"Mmhmm..." Bog slightly nodded. He loved feeling her hands touching him. He was fully aware that several of his shirt buttons were undone.

Summoning up a bit of courage, Marianne placed her hand over Bog's heart underneath his shirt. His skin was so warm and his heartbeat was so strong... She felt him shudder at her touch. Without saying anything, she slowly trailed her hand down his chest, feeling every hair and groove of his muscles. She slipped her hand out of his shirt where the unbuttoned buttons were and grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers with his.

It was hard for Bog to concentrate on anything besides this gorgeous woman beside him. She was wearing a black lacy top that accentuated her curves. With the hand resting on her hip, he pinched the fabric, slowly pulling it up to expose just a hint of creamy white flesh. She gasped when his fingers traced little patterns on her bare skin. The sounds she was making made it difficult for him to control the flow of blood to his groin. His pants were getting so tight, laying with her was beginning to get uncomfortable.

After a few minutes of laying like this, Marianne released Bog's hand and trailed lower, coming to rest on his hip. She couldn't help but feel pleased with herself when she looked down and saw the bulge between his legs. To be fair, the way he was holding her and touching her hip, she could _feel_ how wet she was.

"Bog...?" She whispered. What was she going to do? She was his boss...his best friend. Yet, she wanted him so badly she ached. She longed to kiss him and touch him everywhere... To be his--

"Yes, love?" He turned his head and answered just as quietly.

"I think I--"

The buzz of a cell phone brought them back to the real world. Marianne groaned and rolled over. Bog sat up quickly. Holy shit. If he thought sleeping in the same bed was intimate, then what was this?

He saw Marianne's cell buzzing on the dresser and handed it to her. The caller ID said it was Dawn.

"I'm just, uh, I'm gonna--" he jerked his thumb in the direction of the bathroom. Marianne nodded dumbly and answered the phone.

 _Goddamnit_! Bog cursed and slammed his fist against the bathroom counter. He was so close! In that instant he was so angry at Dawn, he actually hated her a bit. And not only that, but his fricken jeans felt like his dick was being squished under a hydrologic press. He undid his belt and zipper to relieve some pressure before splashing his face with cold water.

There was a faint knock on the bathroom door.

"Bog? It's quarter after noon. Did you want to eat before the class?" Marianne asked through the door.

"Uhhh, I guess," he splashed his face again. "Otherwise I can wait till afterwards. It's only an hour and a half."

She was quiet for a minute then said, "Okay. I let Dawn know. Are you...uhm...okay?"

_Oh just fine. You drive me absolutely crazy and make it so my dick has a mind of its own. Why wouldn't I be okay?_

"Yup. I'm good. I'll head down to the class in just a few minutes." He said instead.

Marianne sagged against the door with her hand over her mouth. They were a mere two fucking inches from kissing! Two!! She could feel his breath on her lips!

After a minute, Bog opened the door and found Marianne sitting on the floor.

"We should probably head back down." He held out his hand for her and lifted her up.

"Bog, I..." she bit her lip, completely scatterbrained. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She brought a hand up to keep his there. There was so much to say to him; but how do you convey your feelings in a few sloppy sentences?

Then something happened between them. Like a puzzle piece clicking into place. Bog looked into her eyes as slid his hand down her cheek and let his fingers trace the delicate outline of her chin. Marianne's heart hammered against her breastbone waiting for whatever he was going to do. He placed his other hand on the small of her back and pulled her close. At the same time he bent his head down and tilted her face up to his. Her eyes instinctively fluttered shut, every nerve in her body on edge, waiting.

As Bog pressed his lips to hers an explosion of fireworks went off in his mind. He kissed her tenderly, just barely making contact. He heard her sharp intake of breath and a small moan of pleasure. That was all the reassurance he needed. He kissed her a little harder, moving his lips to match hers, and letting the tip of his tongue trace the outline of her lips. Had he known how perfectly her mouth fit against his, he would have kissed her sooner!

Marianne felt like she was on fire yet a puddle of liquid at the same time! Never in her life had she been kissed so sweetly. Never had she felt this way about a man. She thought she did before, but now she _knew_. This man, the one who held her close and used the lightest of pressure on her lips, was the one who she knew she loved.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I had them visit Minneapolis, MN cuz it's a place I'm familiar with and I share Marianne's "love" of driving in the Cities. (Seriously, screw driving down there!)
> 
> Anyway, the next chapter will be just as fun ;)


	12. Hair class part 2: Kisses

The week before Bog turned 30, he shaved his head completely bald. He reminded himself of this as he paced outside the classroom waiting for the instructor to let them in. He didn't care about getting a new style, but he was nervous about everyone watching him during the class.

"Just relax," Jeremy, the man who'd be cutting Bog's hair, placed his hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

Bog gave an uncertain smile while his gut twisted.

"How am I supposed to teach a room full of people how to do a proper fade and pompadour if my model looks sick, huh? What's got you down, man?"

Bog cleared his throat before saying, "Ah well, I don't want everyone watching me."

"They won't be watching you! They'll be--" Jeremy threw his hands in the air. He inhaled deeply and tried again, "You know what helps me? Tune them out. Picture them in their underwear. That way you'll smile, yes?"

Bog's first thought was Marianne in her underwear... Dear heavens! That would _not_ go well!

"Uh, no. I don't think that would work."

"Why on earth not?"

"Uh, well there's..." Bog looked down, not sure how to say it. Marianne was his...friend?

"Ahhh," Jeremy nodded catching on, "There's someone out there you'd rather not picture naked. I get it. Maybe...think of something that makes you happy? A loved one perhaps?"

Just as Bog was about to explain, the class assistant opened the door signally that the class had begun.

Before Bog had a chance to blink, he was seated in a chair and a cape was snapped around his neck. He felt like he was a strange specimen at a science fair. Everyone was staring at him. He knew they were really watching the instructor, but he couldn't help the feeling of unease that crept up his spine. Then he felt another pair of eyes on him. He looked straight forward and saw Marianne. She smiled and gave a tiny wave. That was all he needed to calm his nerves. He focused on the honey depths of her lovely eyes.

Throughout the class, Jeremy explained how he held the clipper, what size guard he was using and so forth. When Bog came in, his hair was all the same length at 3 inches, but soon his sides were buzzed down to a 1/4 inch with a number 2 guard and faded up to the longer lengths on top. The top was cut uniformly to 2 inches and then blended with the sides. He finished cleaning up the edges with his trimmer and for an extra precise line, he took a straight-edge razor and etched around Bog's hairline.

During this whole process, all Bog could think of was Marianne. The way her eyes lit up while watching and the concentration on her face when she had to look away to write down the techniques. A shorter part of her hair fell forward into her eyes. She reached up to tuck it behind her ear just as she caught Bog looking at her. A rosy blush colored her cheeks.

"And for the finishing touches," Jeremy took some styling gel and rubbed his hands together before running them through Bog's hair, "I'm using American Crew Defining Paste. It has a medium hold with low shine. Since my model has this thick hair that behaves well, a medium hold is all that's needed. Remember, it's important to know your client's hair type and what would work best for them." He unhooked the cape, flipping it off with a flurry, announcing he was finished. "Voila! A short, faded pompadour. Thank you!"

Bog stood and shook Jeremy's hand before dashing out of the room. He was afraid his legs might give out he felt so nauseous. Luckily he made it to the bathroom before getting too light headed. He didn't throw up, but he did feel shaky.

After splashing cool water in his face he caught his reflection in the mirror. The cut was actually quite flattering for his sharp facial structure, even though it did make him look even taller. The style wasn't really how he'd wear his hair--straight up and kind of spiky--but he couldn't complain. He got a free haircut.

After several minutes hiding in the bathroom, his cell buzzed. Marianne had texted him.

> _Hey, where are you?  
_

_< I'm in the restroom. I'll be out in a minute.  
_

_> We're going to the cafeteria. Just meet us there_.

On their way to the cafeteria, the two sisters talked about what they learned during the Color class that morning and the new techniques of the clipper class.

Marianne stared at the menu as Dawn made her order. A blueberry muffin (obviously) and a pumpkin spice coffee. She felt like she was betraying Sunny, but she'd totally make it up to him tonight.

"I should probably get Bog something," Marianne said to her sister. "I don't think he's eaten since breakfast."

To the lady at the counter she said, "I'll have a fruit cup and a chicken salad please. Uh, I'm not sure what dressing... Oh! Also, a bagel with strawberry cream cheese, please."

"Sure thing, hon. That'll be $17.86."

"Jeez... That's a lot..." Marianne grumbled but paid anyway. She put her change in the tip jar.

While they waited for Marianne's order, Dawn finally asked, "So, what was Boggy so upset about earlier?"

Marianne almost choked on her water. "Uh, he was just nervous. Yeah, weird right? Ha..ha?"

Dawn looked at her with an unamused expression. Something was up.

"Hello ladies," Bog had finally joined them, taking a seat next to Marianne.

"Hi..." she murmured with a blush.

"Hi Boggy!" Dawn chirped. If she was suspicious she didn't show it. "I'm gonna go see if your foods ready."

With that Dawn left, leaving them alone.  
All Marianne wanted to do was kiss him again. It had ended all too soon for her earlier. But, it was sweet how he did it. After a few minutes, Bog had stopped kissing her lips and moved to her cheeks up to her ear. All he said was: "If I could kiss you forever, I would." Then he kissed her lips softly before opening the door to their room to head to the class.

Now though, he seemed so shy, but like, not in a dorky way. Maybe he just didn't know what to say, or how to act around her now? That thought made her sad. As if reading her thoughts, Bog slipped his fingers through hers. He reached up and gently tucked her hair back into place, letting his fingers linger on the curve of her ear. Tingles raced down her spine.

Marianne had to clear her throat before she could speak. "Ahem, so, how was being a model?"

"Ugh, it sucked. I...I honestly don't think I could have made it through without you..." he gave a nervous laugh and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.

"How did I help?"

Bog got a wicked grin and breathed in her ear, "Want me to show you?"

Marianne could feel the same magnetic pull as before start to take over.

"I would--"

"Here we are!" Dawn came back and set a tray of food before them.

"What's all this?" Bog asked.

"Well, I figured you must be hungry since you didn't eat lunch... I uh, got you a chicken salad and fruit," Marianne said eagerly. She wanted to be a good friend and get him food she knew he ate. Half the time she had no idea, but this was an educated guess.

"Well that's nice of you," Bog immediately reached for the fruit, popping a giant piece of cantaloupe in his mouth.

Marianne nibbled on her bagel, thinking of all the things she wanted to talk about. She wanted to tell him about Roland. He already knew he cheated on her, but there was more to it than that. She wanted to tell him about her mother and how amazing she was. What she really wanted was for him to _meet_ her mother...

"Hey, you okay?" Bog looked over at her between a bite of salad and saw a solemn expression on her face.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I'm just... gonna head to the styling class a little early. I'll see you guys there." She shoved the last bite of bagel in her mouth and got up. Dawn just shrugged. She was texting Sunny anyway. After Marianne was out of sight however...

"Okay, Bog, what happened between you two?" She gave him her best " _interrogation_ " stare.

"Uhh, nothing. What makes you think--"

"Really? She's my sister. Now, what happened?"

Bog sighed. He was hoping to keep the kiss between him and Marianne, but it didn't seem like that was possible. Before he even said a word, Dawn changed her mind.

"You know what, never mind. But, just...please don't hurt her."

"What makes you think I'd come anywhere close to hurting her?" Bog was actually a little offended.

"It's not that I think you will, I just..." She pursed her lips together. "Ever since mom died, Marianne was never the same. It kind of messed her up a little, I think. And then Roland had to show up and sweep her off her feet. She was vulnerable you know... I've never seen her as happy as she is with you. Even when she was with Roland, she wasn't happy."

Bog reached across the table and placed his much larger hand over hers. She looked up with a surprised squeak.

"Dawn, I promise on my father's grave that I will never hurt Marianne."

Years ago when he was in love with Kiah--he thought it was love anyway--he didn't hurt her. Well...not intentionally. Deep down, he was a romantic, something he inherited from his mother. After Kiah, he pushed that way down. Now though, the way Marianne made him feel; the way she smiled and laughed around him, made that resurface. How on earth could Dawn think he'd hurt her sister? He...he loved her.

 

 

  
The styling class was scheduled to get over at 5, but got out a little late. Marianne was a bit annoyed. She wanted to drag Bog off to a dark corner and finish what they started earlier. Now though, she knew there wouldn't be time for that before the runway started.

"So, Sunny texted and said that there's this restaurant not far from here that Pare said was good. Do you guys want to go there for dinner?" Dawn was all excitement, bouncing up and down.

"Honestly, I'm kind of burnt out, Dawn. I'll probably just order pizza or something and stay in the room," Marianne said. She truly was tired and wanted to relax.

"C'mon Marianne! Don't be _boring_!" The younger sister hung on her arm.

"Ugh! Fine!" She rolled her eyes and relented.

Dawn squealed with joy, "Yay! I'm gonna go save is seats." She continued to walk to the conference room where the runway would be taking place, leaving Bog and Marianne alone.

"I like your hair," Marianne reached up to fix his shirt collar.

"Thank you. I uh, was wondering..." He placed his hands on her shoulders and slid them down her waist, pulling her slightly closer.

"Yes, Bog?" She laced her fingers behind his neck and tilted her head to look in his eyes.

The way she was watching his face--especially his lips--made his entire thought go away. In that moment the urge to kiss her was so great, but he didn't want to risk kissing her in front of all these people. She was still his boss after all. He released her and took a step back.

"Ahem, ah, well, I was wondering if you'd--"

"All models to conference room B! All models to conference room B. B as in boy!" A lady with a microphone was standing in front of the conference room doors. Apparently all the models were needed early.

Panic began to settle in Bog's stomach. He _loathed_ people watching him.

Marianne felt a surge of energy and reached up around his neck, pulling his face down to hers. She moaned softly, feeling his soft lips against hers. She kissed him a bit harder than they did earlier, but she didn't care. His kisses were the sweetest she'd ever experienced in her life! And she needed more. She felt Bog's hand tangle up in her hair and the other pull her closer. His tongue teased her lips apart, the tip gently danced with hers.

"All models to conference room B!"

The two of them groaned, not wanting to stop. Marianne's whole body felt tingly and electrified. Alive, would be a much better word. She felt a slickness in her core and her breasts ached to be touched. She wondered if Bog was in a similar state.

After firmly pressing his lips to hers again, he released her and smiled bashfully.

"What was that for?" He asked, cupping her rosy cheek.

"F-for luck!" She gasped when he kissed her again.

"Thank you..." he murmured against her lips, then turned around and walked into the conference room.

 

 

  
After the Runway show, all the models were thanked with participation pins. The pins were circular with an open pair of shears in the center. When Bog saw Marianne, he pinned his to the front of her shirt.

"Bog, you can't give me your pin!" She protested and moved to unhook it. He grabbed her hand, making her look up to meet his eyes.

"You deserve it more than I do." Then he brought her hand up and kissed her knuckles. If she could melt she would have at his touch. They were interrupted by Dawn, who wrapped her arms around Bog in a congratulatory hug.

"You were so great up there, Boggy!" She squeezed him.

"Bog. And thank you, Dawn," he said, patting her shoulder. He pleaded with his eyes for Marianne to save him.

She laughed and said, "Dawn, I don't think Bog's a big fan of hugs."

The petite blonde released him and smirked. "Well, he likes _your_ hugs."

Both of them burned crimson.

"Do you guys want to change before we head out to meet Sunny and the others?"

"I'm good," Bog shrugged. He was still wearing his blue button down and dark skinny jeans. Though...he was beginning to regret wearing those...

"Yeah me too. Lead the way Dawn!" Marianne made a fist with her hand and made a "charge" motion. Dawn just laughed.

They were going to eat a restaurant that was only 6 blocks away, so they just decided to walk. When they arrived, Dawn ran up to Sunny giving him her signature hug and a big kiss. She hadn't seen him all day. There was a much taller African American man, Pare Marianne assumed, and a lovely Latina woman, most likely Liz. There were three children huddled around them. There were two little boys who looked about 5 and 6, and an adorable little girl who looked like she was between 2 and 3. All of them had big brown eyes and silky black hair. Marianne's heart squeezed.

"Hello, I'm Pare and this is my wife, Liz," Pare shook all their hands and continued, "This is Patrick, he's the oldest. And this one is Isaiah, he's pretty shy. And this is our little girl, Mariana."

Marianne's heart couldn't take it. The girl was just too cute!

"Hi sweetie," she bent down and smiled at the kids. "My names Marianne."

"I'm Mariana!" The little girl beamed and walked forward to examine Marianne. She must not have ever met anyone with the same name before.

Bog's stomach tightened. For some reason, seeing Marianne interact with children made him feel...strange.

"Woah! You're so tall!" Patrick stared at Bog, totally enthralled. Bog crouched down so he wouldn't be as high up. He was used to kids either being scared of his height or find it super cool. Apparently this kid found him " _cool_."

"Hello, lad. My names Bog," he stuck out his hand for the boy. He shied away a bit.

"Mama, he talks funny," Isaiah tugged on his mom's pant leg.

"Shush, Isaiah. Don't be rude. I'm sorry," Liz picked up her boy and gave Bog an apologetic look.

"Eh, no worries," he said as he straitened up. His whole life people have said things about his accent. Or his height. Or sharp facial structure. It didn't matter how he acted or anything like that. He supposed his tattoos didn't help much, but his shirt sleeves weren't rolled up at the moment so he was safe.

After they got to the table, Marianne touched Bog's arm. He leaned down to hear what she had to say.

"I like the way you talk," she whispered. A warmth spread throughout his chest. He reached under the table and held her hand.

As dinner progressed, Mariana became fast friends with Marianne, only wanting to sit on her lap and no one else's. Patrick warmed up to Bog and sat next to him and asked him a million and one questions about anything and everything. Isaiah was busy coloring on the children's menu and wasn't paying any attention to anybody.

"You should have texted us sooner, Sunny. You guys could have stayed with us," Pare said between bites of his burger.

"Ah, well these guys were staying at the same hotel as the classes, so it was just easier. Maybe next time, though!" Sunny continued on that conversation with Pare.

Dawn was sitting across from Liz talking about hair and fashion. Bog and Marianne were fine talking with the kids.

Late into dinner, Mariana hopped down off Marianne's lap and toddled over to her mother. Liz picked up her girl and held her close.

"Your children are absolutely beautiful, Liz," Marianne whispered across the table. She realized that she hadn't said much to Liz at all.

"Aw, thanks. Do you have children, Marianne?" Liz asked kindly. It wasn't an uncommon question that Marianne received from clients, but now she felt...odd about it.

"Well...no. But hopefully someday." She looked at her phone to check the time. It was only 8:30 but she felt exhausted. "I hope you guys won't mind if I take off early. We've had a really long day and there's a hot tub at the hotel waiting for me."

"Oh not at all!

"No worries!

"The hotel has a hot tub?" Sunny asked making them laugh.

Bog stood and grabbed his wallet out of his back pocket and took out a $50.

"This should be enough for ours. I'm going to walk Marianne back."

"Oh are you? I can handle myself," she crinkled her nose at him and stuck out her chest clearly being playful.

"True, but now that you mention hot tub..." he let the sentence dangle in the air as he stood and stretched.

"Hmph. Well, good night guys. It was nice meeting you all! Dawn, just text me when you guys are headed back then."

"Will do!"

After they left the restaurant, Marianne held Bog's hand. He looked down at her and smiled.

"So, what were you trying to ask me earlier?" She asked coyly.

"Well," he guided them towards the wall of a building, "I wanted to know..."

"Yes?" She breathed, her back touching the wall.

"If you'd like to..." he leaned down, his fingers lightly touching her arms, making her heart rate sped up. With his lips so close to hers, he whispered, "Go on an adventure with me?"

The gears in her brain stopped for a moment. Here he was, sex appeal in human form, a breath away from kissing her, and asking to go on an adventure?

"W-what?" She stuttered, desperately wanting to kiss him. His nose was tickling her cheek that's how close they were!

"Well, I was thinking we could go back to the hotel or walk around town. Which would you prefer?" He stood up straight, loving the whine of protest from Marianne.

"Uh, let's go back to the hotel," she huffed. "I'm actually tired and just want to relax."

"Then we shall do that," Bog picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles.

 

 

  
Once Marianne was out of her clothes and her teeth were brushed, she felt instantly better. She wore Bog's shirt from the night before and a pair of shorts, even though the shirt hung past her butt. She loved the way his top fit her, because it made her feel extremely tiny. Roland hated it when she would borrow his clothes. He said it made her look like a hobo. God, she wished she could punch him...

Bog was just starting to unbutton his shirt when Marianne came out of the bathroom. He turned to look at her.

"Hey, tough girl. So, I was looking at the TV guide and guess what's on." He said excitedly.

"Hmm..." she made her way over to him, "I have no idea."

She watched as he finished unbuttoning his shirt and pull it out of his waist band. His hip bones made that "stupid V" that makes girls drool. Bog noticed the way she was watching him and blushed. No one ever looked at him like that before.

"Ahem, Silence of the Lambs is on in 10 minutes if you want to watch it," he said bashfully. He knew anything with Anthony Hopkins would be a yes. His shirt hung loose and open, making it easy to see every detail of his torso. His muscles were defined, but not overly so.

"Uh, yeah! You know how I just _love_ old men with blue eyes," she looked up through her eyelashes and traced her fingers down his chest.

"Haha yeah, you-- Wait, did you just--"

Her laugher died quickly when his expression changed from incredulous to wicked and smoldering. Uh-oh.

"Bog no! _Eep_!"

He pounced on her, throwing her on the bed. He used his legs to pin her down while he tickled her, ignoring her shrieks for mercy. She writhed beneath him, bucking her hips and gasping for air. A whole new scene entered Bog's mind. A much _naughtier_ one... His pants were becoming quite uncomfortable in that moment. He had to end this game quickly if he was going to retain any dignity.

"Do you take it back?" He asked with a husky voice. Damn. Hopefully she couldn't tell how turned on he was...

"N-never!" She shrieked again, bucking her hips upward. She loved the way he felt on top of her like this.

Just as Marianne was about to retaliate with her own methods of tickling, Bog grabbed her wrists and threw her arms over her head. The position brought his face close to hers. Both of them panted and stared at each other.

"I'm going to kiss you, Miss Summers." And boy did her ever! His lips moved in time with hers, and his tongue lightly explored her mouth. At the same time, he released one of her hands to run his down her body. Marianne made the most delightful little mews and gasps. Her breathing hitched and her hips instinctively ground against his. Bog groaned into her mouth when her pelvis hit him just right.

She managed to pull her hands down and run them under his shirt. He easily shrugged the soft material off his arms, leaving him completely shirtless. The feel of his skin and the heat rolling off his body sent waves of pleasure straight to her most intimate parts. Bog placed his hand on her hip and gently tugged the front of her shirt up. He didn't go past her hip, but just let his hand sit on her soft skin.

Whenever Marianne would kiss like this with Roland, he would always dominate her and make her feel helpless, like she had no control. He never asked for consent when it came to make-outs or anything beyond. He just _assumed_ it was okay, even if she didn't want to. Right now, with Bog's hand on her hip, she knew he'd never try and take advantage of her. He was waiting for permission like a gentleman.

"Marianne..." he breathed into her mouth.

She ended up gasping his name.

"We're gonna miss--" he kissed her "the movie if we--" kissed again "don't stop."

She moaned into him. This was one of the hottest make-outs of her life and he was thinking about a movie? Granted, it was one of her favorites, but come on!

"Do you want to stop?" She panted, running her hands up his sides.

"Heh, not really..." He chuckled and kissed her again, making them both forget where they were.

Marianne was so turned on, she couldn't help herself when she used her nails on his back and pulled him closer. Bog let out a noise between a growl and a moan of pleasure. Whatever sound it was, made liquid heat radiate from her core. They kissed harder, he being a bit more daring and pushing her shirt up a bit farther to place his hand on her back. She nearly cried with how turned on she was. At the same time, his jeans were getting painfully restricting on his manhood.

"Marianne?" He gasped when she flicked her hips upward. He had an extremely hard time getting the words out, "I-I'm sorry, but I have to stop."

"Oh? Why is that?" The devious little vixen looked him in the eye and bit her lip. Bog's member twitched, demanding to be set free.

"Ah, well, my pants are wee but snug..." as if to emphasize his point, he thrust his hips forward making her gasp.

A delightfully naughty idea crept into her mind...

"Well, I can fix that," she purred, reaching for his belt. She got his belt unbuckled and the pants button undone, but hesitated at the zipper, feeling a bit nervous. As if picking up on that, he reached down between them and undid the zipper himself. It's not something he would normally do, but _damn_ they were tight!

Marianne moved her hands slowly into the back waistband of his jeans. She gave his tush a little squeeze. Bog nearly jumped in surprise.

"Haha, sorry," she giggled.

"I don't believe you," he leaned back down, and adjusted the way he was laying so he was half off her rather than directly on top. Marianne swung her leg around his waist and pulled him back down for more kisses. They were getting heated again when she felt the strangest sensation against her lady parts. Like...vibrating?

"Bog?" She mumbled against his lips.

"Yes?" He panted.

"Are you vibrating?"

He pulled back, extremely confused. Then he felt his phone in his pocket.

"Ugh..." he reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out. Dawn was calling him.

"Hello?" His voice was a bit ragged.  
"Hey, Boggy!" Dawn chirped. "Were you sleeping?" 

"Uh, no, no. Just...watching a movie."

Marianne bit her lip to stifle a laugh. Bog grabbed a pillow and shoved it over her face.

"Uh-huh. Well, Sunny and I just got back to the hotel. I tried calling Marianne, but she didn't answer."

As if to emphasize her point, Marianne's phone light up by the TV, signaling she had several texts and missed calls.

"Oh...oops..." she mumbled, pulling the pillow off her face.

"Ah, well she..." Bog trailed off. Marianne had sat up on the bed, pulling her shirt slightly higher. The curve of her waist was visible. If possible, she would have made him burst into flames with the smoldering expression on her face.

"Boggy?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. See you in a minute!" He hung up and tackled Marianne onto the bed again, both in a fit of giggles. "Ye naughty wench!" He kissed her again then slipped his jeans off and quickly pulled his shorts on just in time before he heard the latch of the room door. Dawn and Sunny entered smiling like love stricken fools.

"Hey guys!" Sunny walked immediately over to his backpack and pulled out his swim trunks. "We're gonna go enjoy that hot tub. Do you wanna join us?"

Neither Bog or Marianne missed the tiny glare Dawn gave her boyfriend.

"Eh, no thanks Sunny. We're watching a movie and will probably hit the hay soon," Bog shrugged, standing only in his sleeping shorts.

"Yeah, its fine. Just be quiet when you guys come back up though," Marianne scootched under the blankets and readjusted the pillows so she'd be sitting up.

"We will be," Dawn promised and grabbed her swim suit out of her bag before towing Sunny out of the room. "We're gonna change by the pool! Good night!"

"Good night!" Yelled Marianne and Bog after them.

After plugging in his phone as well as Marianne's, Bog turned the lights off and crawled under the covers next to her. He leaned against the headrest of the bed and threw his arm around her. She was quite eager to cuddle up to his side. She tossed her left leg over him and started running her hand down his silky chest. She always liked a little chest hair on a man, but never thought she'd find a bit _more_ to be so sexy.

She continued down his stomach, watching his muscles twitch at her touch, till she reached the fabric at his hips. Oh how she longed to explore lower. She had fantasized about the man for weeks but now, after feeling his manhood pressed up against her it was almost like a _need_ to know. Before she could even slip a finger under the band, Bog reached down and pulled her hand up to his mouth.

"I think we've had enough fun tonight, love," he kissed each of her finger tips before settling farther down in the bed.

"O-oh...I'm sorry," Marianne stuttered, highly embarrassed. She was used to being turned down from Roland, but never thought it'd hurt so much coming from Bog.

"No, I'm sorry. I won't say that I don't want to, but, I will say," he turned his head to look her in the eye, a naughty smile on his lips, "If I make love to you, I want it to be special. And I _certainly_ don't want your sister to interrupt us..."

Marianne laughed, relieved. Sure, at first she felt hurt, but he turned her down for a completely logical reason! Her sister and Sunny wouldn't be swimming long, and even if they were the moment would be sloppy and rushed. Neither of them wanted that. 

Marianne had never felt so comfortable with someone in her entire life. Bog was the kind of man who she could see herself being with as more than friends.


	13. Photo albums

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uuuuuugh I'm SO sorry this took a while to get up. I've been super busy with work and just life in general. I tried to write whenever I had downtime at work, but har har, jokes on me. There is no downtime in the summer at a salon. And if there is it's RARE. Anywhoo, I'm pleased with this chapter, and hopefully I'll have another one up soon (no promises as to when...) I also REALLY need to work on This is Our Kingdom, but I'm stuck and it sucks! It's been hiatus for...well, quite a few months... Anyway, I hope you like this chapter.  
> As always, comments and thoughts are appreciated and if you want to see anything happen in the future with this story let me know your ideas! 
> 
> Enjoy Strangers~

The four of them checked out of the hotel at 11, managed to find a nearby diner for lunch, and then headed back home. Marianne talked Bog into driving home since she drove all the way down to the Cities. Well, she didn't really talk him into it. He offered. Dawn and Sunny requested an upbeat radio station and were singing along, while Marianne looked over her notes from the classes. 

They were about an hour from home when Dawn leaned in between the front seats and asked, "So, what're you guys planning on doing when we get home?"

"Well, I have to go grocery shopping for my mother. Would you like to come with, Marianne?" Bog looked over at Marianne's wide eyes. She didn't expect him to want to spend more time together after last night. She wasn't used to it. Roland never wanted to spend time with her. But, again for the millionth time, she had to remind herself that Bog was not Roland. 

"Yeah, sure!" She quipped with a dazzling smile. 

Dawn looked between the two of them and didn't miss the familiar light of love in their eyes. She squinted her own as she settled back in her seat and leaned over to Sunny.

"I think something happened between them," she whispered only loud enough for him to hear. 

"What makes you say that?" Sunny tilted his head to see what she saw, but didn't know what he was looking for. 

"It's just...a feeling."

 

After stopping at the salon to drop off Dawn and Sunny to get his car, Bog and Marianne headed to her house. She greeted the yowling Imp and loved on him for a few minutes before going upstairs to change.

Bog leaned against the wall on the kitchen side of the hall. He had to stop himself from following Marianne up the stairs and into her bedroom. God... After kissing her like he had the night before, it was hard for him to think of anything else. He knew he wasn't just attracted to her physically, but to her smarts as well. There were times she could be a total playful kitten and other times she was the professional business owner she was. He just hoped that he wouldn't make the same mistakes he made before... Had he made the right choice in kissing her yesterday? She did kiss him back...but that didn't necessarily mean anything. 

After changing, Marianne sauntered down the stairs and over to Bog, who looked at her with amused eyes. She was still sexy in ripped skinny jeans and an oversized black sweater. He couldn't help the blush on his cheeks when he thought of her out of those clothes...

"Ahem, so, are you ready to head out?" Bog asked as he tucked a stand of loose hair behind her ear. 

Marianne practically melted at his touch. This morning when she woke up, she was snuggled up against him and they both had their arms and legs wrapped around each other. She could also feel a certain appendage saying good morning as well... All she wanted to do right now was kiss him and run her fingers over his long body.

"Mm, not quite yet..." she purred and reached up around his neck. 

"Oh? Something on your mind, tough girl?" Bog asked with the same husky tone as he ran his hands down the curve of her waist. 

"Well, I was maybe hoping that we could..." she bit her lip as she searched for the right words, "relax for a bit."

Bog chuckled darkly and leaned down, rubbing his lips against her ear, only using the lightest of pressure, "As lovely as that sounds, I do need to bring groceries to my mother."

Marianne had a hard time standing. His hot breath sent shivers down her spine. She involuntarily pressed herself against him. 

_Oh to hell with it!  
_

She turned her head and pressed her lips on his for a wonderful brief second before being pulled tighter into his arms. Her tongue explored the inside of his lips and lightly danced with his. Oh God, this man could kiss! After a few minutes she was aware of his manhood becoming hard against her. She made a bold move and reached down between them and ran her hand against his growing member. 

"Oh fuck..." Bog breathed and kissed her harder, grabbing the back of her head so she wouldn't fall over. With his other hand, he grabbed her tush. The sound she made was between a startled squeak and a horny moan. At the same time she squeezed his crotch, feeling his lusty growl in the back of her throat. 

As turned on as he was, Bog still had this nagging feeling in his mind that he shouldn't be doing this. But damn, Marianne tasted like the finest honey on his tongue!

"Oh God, Bog..." Marianne panted when they stopped to breathe. She was grateful he was holding her up, because if he wasn't she would have fallen over. It was a full minute before either of them moved. 

"We...should probably head out," Bog straighten up and ran a hand through his hair. Slightly dazed, Marianne just nodded and took his hand as they walked out the door.

 

  
"So," Marianne linked her arm through Bog's as they walked through the produce section of the store, "what groceries does your mom need?"

"Well...I was actually thinking of getting her things that last since I'm not out there as much..." he stopped to examine some bananas. 

"What do you mean?"

"Ah, well, I've just been spending a lot of time with you, is all."

"Are you saying it's _my_ fault you don't visit your mother?" She looked up at him through her lashes and tugged his arm down. 

"Only because you're so distracting," he peered down his long nose, a crooked smile on his lips.

"Oh, distracting am I?" Marianne bit her lip as she pressed herself closer to him. She smiled when she noticed his cheeks color red.

He leaned farther down to whisper in her ear, "Yes. So distracting in fact, that all I can think of is dragging you off to some secluded corner of the store and kissing you till you forget your own name."

Now it was her turn to blush. Last night was the best make out of her life! Bog was sweet and considerate and holy hell! The way he felt pressed against her? She had never felt anyone fit her body more perfectly than him. Her legs turned to jelly just thinking about it. 

They finished their shopping, taking turns bantering at each other, and were soon headed out to Griselda's house. They were about 10 miles out of town when Marianne's mind started to wander. Both her and Bog were private people but she really wanted to get to know him. What she already knew she liked. A lot. She knew they had similar taste in music (even if his was a bit more old fashioned); he was a great singer and a wonderful cook. He liked kids and cats; he liked the same types of creepy suspenseful movies she did, and was always willing to watch one with her. He cared about his family; and even though he had a prickly surface at times, he was a kindhearted man who was honestly, the most caring person she'd ever met. 

"What're you thinking about, tough girl?" Bog reached over and laced his fingers with hers. 

"I was just thinking about you," she looked over at him. The tips of his ears were pink, making her giggle. "I wasn't thinking anything naughty, you goon."

"Aw, well that's a shame," he flashed a wicked smile.

"Okay, maybe now there might be a few naughty thoughts..." she grumbled. "But, seriously. I...I want to know you. Who you are and all that." Marianne sighed.

Perhaps patience would be a better angle than prying with Bog. He was forthcoming when she did ask questions, it's just that sometimes she felt silly asking them. Like she should already know. 

Bog snorted his reply. "Then ask away though girl."

"Uh, well..." she thought for a minute but couldn't think of anything she wanted to know at that moment. Her mind was drawing a complete blank. "Uh, what's your favorite color?"

"Seriously? That's what you want to know?" The sarcasm practically dripped off his tongue. 

"Tck, I couldn't think of anything!"

"Haha, I'm teasing. Um... I guess I never thought about it before but--" he looked over at her lovely honey colored eyes and watched as they sparkled in the sunlight and were alight from within, "but I think brown would be it."

" _Brown_?" She nearly sneered. "Brown's so boring and drab!"

"No. It's warm and intense," he glanced at her as he lifted her fingers to his lips.   
Marianne's heart near about stopped. Was he saying in a round about way that he liked her eyes?

"I...it's a toss up for me. Purple has always been my favorite color, but I find myself leaning more towards blue lately." She walked her fingers up his arm and ran her fingers through Bog's hair. He hummed happily at her touch. 

Ever since last night, three words had been tormenting him. He felt so strongly for Marianne that he was having trouble keeping himself in check. If he wasn't careful, he wouldn't be able to catch himself if he fell any harder.

 

  
"Oh Marianne, dear, it's so good to see you!" Griselda greeted Marianne with a giant hug. 

"Oof! Uh, hi Griselda," Marianne tried to breathe through the bear hug. The tiny woman was quite strong despite her size. 

"Boggy, you should've told me you were bringing her!" She finally released Marianne in order to stand with her hands on her hips and scold her son. 

"Good to see you too, mother," Bog said dryly as he set the bags of groceries on the small table. 

The kitchen was right off the added-on back porch and was rather small with hardly any counter space. To the right was a set of stairs going up and the door to the laundry/restroom. The room attached to the kitchen looked to be a nice sized dining room with a large oak table and a China cabinet with lots of blue and white China inside as well as a plethora of nicknacks. There was also a piano that had seen lots of love over the years, but was now covered with pictures of Bog and other family members. 

"Hmph. Marianne, why don't you make yourself at home. The living room is that way and to the right." She pointed to a doorway past the dining room.

"Uhh, I can help. If you want?" Marianne stood in the kitchen by the fridge, not really sure what to do. 

"Nonsense! You just go get comfy in the living room and we'll be there in a jiffy!" Griselda took her by the elbow and gently towed her in that direction. 

"I, uh--"

"She won't stop until you do as yer told," Bog warned, slightly amused. His mother was a gracious host, but could sometimes be a bit pushy. 

Flashbacks to their first day as _friends_ flitted through Marianne's mind. She smiled to herself, seeing where Bog got the "make yourself at home" part of his personality. 

"If you insist," she finally relinquished and walked into the dining room and through the door to the living room. Straight ahead was the door to the front porch. To her right was the living room and to her left was another set of stairs that lead up. There were several pictures hanging on the wall that caught her eye. Curiosity won her over and she walked over to the stairs and up a few steps to get a better look. 

The first photo was a baby picture. The baby had a ginormous smile and bright blue eyes. The smile was the only thing he was wearing... Marianne knew it was Bog, but the baby had rolls! And curls! Bog was such an adorable, chubby baby! She couldn't help the loud giggle that escaped her throat. 

The next picture was a wedding picture of a young Griselda and a man who looked like an older version of Bog, with the same startling blue eyes and long limbs. He looked rather happy in that photo. The love for his bride clearly captured on his face. 

There were several other pictures, but the last one stood out most to Marianne. It looked like a picture of Bog when he was a teenager and his dad. Bog was sitting on the tailgate of the same truck that he was driving now, and his father was leaning against it looking over at him with a smirk. It was strange to see something like this framed on a wall. Surly it would be better in a photo album?

Marianne was so engrossed in the photos that she didn't notice Bog sneak up behind her till he cleared his throat. 

"Ahem."

"Eep!" She let out a surprised squeak and placed her hand over her heart. "Bog you scared me!"

"Heh," he chuckled. "I see the family photos have caught your eye."

"Oh, yeah. You were a very cute baby. I can't believe you actually had chub!" She poked his bony ribs. 

"Hey now! Most babies are chubby. I just happened to grow out of mine," he said rather smugly. 

"Har har," she rolled her eyes playfully then pointed to the wedding photo. "So, is this man your dad?"

"Y-yes."

"What's his name?"

"Alistair."

"Hmm. He's very handsome."

"Pfft. That's a bit creepy, Miss Summers. Speaking about my father that way. Tsk tsk." Bog waggled his pointer finger at her in a "no-no" fashion. 

"Oh? Well, I was going to say you look just like him, but maybe now I won't," she turned her nose up and leaned against the railing. She suddenly shifted when Bog's large hand hooked around her waist and pulled her to him. He was standing a few steps below her and that made them eye level with each other. Marianne leaned her forehead against his, struggling not to kiss him. She was afraid that if she did she would never stop. 

"It's no' nice to tell lies, tough girl." There he went again, rolling his r and l together flawlessly. 

Marianne closed her eyes and breathed through her nose. If she could just get her wits about her then she wouldn't have this problem. After a few seconds she became aware of Bog's long fingers sliding up her arm, than trail over her neck and finally tuck a lock of hair behind an ear. 

"Marianne..." he breathed, his lips nearly brushing hers. 

"Alright, kiddos!" Griselda had walked through the doorway startling the bejeebies out of them. If she thought something was up when they practically jumped away from each other, she didn't show it. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"It, uh, I-its up to you, Marianne," Bog managed to stammer out since she still seemed to be shell-shocked. 

"Oh! Well, I..." All she could think about was running her hands down his body to explore certain intimate areas. Not a good thing when his mother was right there! She glanced at Bog, his eyes were glazed and lust filled, making her decision easier. "I need to get home, actually. I have to go over the notes from the class and--"

"Say no more, dear! I understand. It's not easy owning a business," Griselda waved her hand to dismiss the thought. "But Son, since you're here, can you do me a favor?"

"Uh, sure," Bog looked at his mother and stepped down the few steps he was standing on. 

"Could you check the gutters on the back porch? I think a squirrel may have gotten stuck and died. It stinks to high heaven every time I open the door."

Bog just rolled his eyes and sighed through his nose. Of course it had to be that. "Fine. I'll take care of the dead creature..."

"I can help," Marianne chirped.

"Nonsense! You are a guest, and I will not be putting you to house work!" Griselda looked up at her and put her hands on her hips. Well, that settled that.

"I'll work quickly..." Bog mumbled under his breath. He didn't miss the pleading look Marianne gave him as he opened the back door and stepped outside. 

Awkwardness filled Marianne's mind. She liked Griselda, but had no idea what to talk to her about. As if reading her thoughts, the older woman came around the staircase and walked up a couple steps to admire the pictures on the wall. 

"I uh..." Marianne bit her lip.  
Seeming to pay no mind to the young woman's awkwardness, Griselda ran her fingers down the frame of the wedding photo on the wall. 

"Uhm... H-how did you and Mr. King meet, Griselda?" Marianne asked, honestly curious, as well as to fill the silence between them. 

Griselda smiled, "I was attending college at the time and was studying abroad. Come, come! I'll tell you the rest while we sit. These old bones need a rest." She took Marianne's hand and led her down the stairs to the living room and sat them down on the couch before continuing. "Well, one day when I went to my favorite bakery, there was this man doing some work on the building. He was so handsome!"

"What happened?" Marianne was leaning forward on her knees listening.

Griselda gave a wicked smile, "I went and bought my breakfast as usual and asked the barista how long the man would be working there. She told me for at least a month. Alistair was doing some maintenance work...so I figured I'd buy him breakfast as well. It wasn't long till he asked me out for our first date." 

When she didn't continue, Marianne cleared her throat. 

"What? The rest is history. We met at my favorite bakery in Edinburgh."

"But, there's got to be more than that! What happened when you had to come back home? What did he do?" The young woman's eyes were wide with curiosity. 

"Ah. Hah, well, he told me he loved me. Now, for him, that was a big thing. If you think my son is a private man, well! You should've met my husband!" Griselda shook her head, some of her greying-red curls fell from her bun, framing her grey eyes. "That was all the convincing I needed to stay."

"Aw... That is sweet," Marianne smiled. She loved true love stories, even if she'd never admit it. When she first met Roland, she was at a house party with some friends from beauty school. It had only been a few weeks since her mother had died and she needed comfort...and he was willing to provide it. She realized now that that was a terrible situation and she never should have jumped into bed right away with him. He only liked her because of her family's money...

"What's on your mind, dear?" Griselda interrupted Marianne's thoughts as she blew off the dust of a thin photo album that was laying under a small pile of books on the coffee table. 

"Huh? Oh, well... Nothing really," she just shrugged. Griselda looked at her with keen eyes, as if she knew all her dark secrets. But, she didn't say anything. 

"Ah! Here's our first photo album. Oh, see how handsome my Alistair was?" Griselda looked longingly at the first photo, as if she could just dive right in and relive the event.

"If...you don't mind me asking," she looked over at Griselda with an almost guilty expression, "but how did Alistair die?"

Griselda smiled sadly. "I don't mind you asking, dear. A few weeks after Bog's high school graduation, I was having the boys do some yard work. Alistair was standing on the roof using a power washer when...he slipped. I came running out of the house when I heard Bog yell. Alistair seemed fine...that is up until the middle of dinner. He just passed out and...didn't wake up." She balled her hands into fists. "That man was so stubborn. If I had forced him to just go to the hospital, then maybe he..." She trailed off and sighed, stopping herself before dark thoughts consumed her mind. She had this argument with herself many times already. 

"I'm sorry, Griselda," Marianne whispered and grasped her hand.

"Its no ones fault, dear," Griselda patted her knee as she stood. "Would you like to see some more family photos?"

Before she could stop herself, Marianne blurted, "Sure! I'd love to."

Before long, the two women were sitting on the couch together looking through an old photo album. The pictures were mostly of Bog as a child and a few from his early teen years. It seemed as though there weren't many pictures taken for a few years after his father passed, but then picked up again during his early twenties. Many were of tattoos that he'd done. It was clear that Griselda was proud of her son. She beamed every time she pointed to a new tattoo of his.   
As she flipped to the next page, a photo fell out of the album. Marianne reached down to pick it up, not really paying much attention to it, but something made her look. It was of Bog, perhaps around 22 or 23, holding a smiling little girl, maybe not even 2 years old. Marianne's heart sped up in her chest. Bog was an only child so she couldn't be his niece. Was this little girl his--

"Oh! I just love this picture!" Griselda snatched it from Marianne's sweaty palm and smiled sweetly at it. 

"Um, who's the little girl?" She asked. Tried as she might, she couldn't mask the unease of her voice. 

"Oh, that's Emily. She was like a granddaughter to me."

"What do you mean?" Marianne tilted her head slightly, not quite understanding.

"Bog used to babysit her. I swear my boy would've done anything for her mother!"

Before Marianne had a chance to ask who Emily's mother was, Bog had come back in the house and stepped in the living room holding a black garbage bag. "You were right mother; it was indeed a squirrel."

"Oh good! I'm glad to finally be rid of it!" Griselda subtlety shoved the photo back in the album.

"Well, now that that's taken care of, I think we should head back to town," he glanced at Marianne, then saw the photo albums between the two women. He couldn't keep the distain out of his voice, "Seriously, mother?"

"Bog, shush," Marianne rolled her eyes as she stood up and stretched. She walked over to him and poked him in the chest. "I happened to enjoy myself."

"Hmph. I can only imagine what stories she was telling..." he grumbled and rubbed his chest where Marianne poked. He wasn't truly upset, but it was fun to tease his mother every now and then. 

"Nothing embarrassing," Griselda stated matter-of-fact. "Okay, kiddos, I suppose it's time to head back to town. You should get a full nights rest before work tomorrow."

They said their goodbyes and walked out the porch door to Bog's truck. As they pulled out of the driveway, Marianne noticed that Bog's eyebrows were drawn together and a slight frown was on his very kissable lips.

As if picking up on what he was thinking she said, "Your mom just showed me pictures of your dad and your tattoo work. Which is _very_ good by the way."

"Hmph," he snorted. He was slightly apprehensive about some pictures he knew his mother had tucked away somewhere...

Marianne just rolled her eyes at him and scootched over to sit in the middle seat. She ever so gracefully placed her left hand on his knee, as if it was a totally normal thing to do. 

"I like your mom," she admitted after several minutes of silence.

"Yeah?" Bog looked at her sideways and smiled, grabbing the hand on his knee, "I'm glad. She likes you too."

Marianne hummed happily and rested her head on his shoulder as they drove back to her house. She didn't want to admit that she was falling for him--even though it was totally obvious. Then another thought occurred to her: who was Emily? Griselda said Bog used to babysit her, but then who was he babysitting for? Oh well. It didn't really matter. She continued to think of how wonderful this weekend turned out and how amazing of a kisser Bog was. Maybe tonight they could "accidentally" sleep in her bed...

 

**Author's Note:**

> Also, stylists survive off of coffee and wine.


End file.
